Police Service: Retirement

Lord Janner of Braunstone: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What studies the Home Office is carrying out into patterns of retirement from police force to police force and as to the reasons why police officers are leaving (a) early or (b) after 30 years' service.

Lord Rooker: A number of Home Office studies in the 1990s looked at the reasons why people leave the police service early other than on medical grounds. These studies identified particular difficulties in retaining officers who are female, graduates or from minority ethnic groups. The need for further research on all aspects of retention will be considered in the coming months.
	The importance of ensuring that the medical retirement rates for all forces are more consistent has been recognised for some time and we are currently considering how best to tackle the divergence in performance between forces.
	As most police officers are entitled to retire with an immediate--and maximum--pension after completion of 30 years' service it is to be expected that the majority of officers would choose to retire at this stage. We are, however, considering how suitable officers might be encouraged to delay their retirement as part of our plans to boost police numbers to record levels. This clearly requires an understanding of the motivations of officers who retire with 30 years' service.

Yarl's Wood Detention Centre

Lord Avebury: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether, when Yarl's Wood detention centre is fully commissioned, they will reduce the number of places used in processing for Immigration Act detainees by the number of places available at this detention centre.

Lord Rooker: When Yarl's Wood detention centre opens later this year, the total number of places available for immigration detainees in the detention estate will increase by 900. We remain committed to pursuing a strategy of detaining people in dedicated detention facilities of this kind and reducing reliance on Prison Service accommodation.

Dogs: Deployment in Prisons

Lord Avebury: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What conclusions the Advisory Committee on the Use of Dogs in Prison has reached on the effectiveness of drug dogs, both active and passive, and whether they will place copies of the committee's reports in the Library of the House.

Lord Rooker: The Advisory Committee on the Use of Dogs in Prison reported in September 1998 and a copy of the report has been placed in the Library. Prison Service Order 1050 provides standards for the deployment of dogs in prisons, a copy of which is already in the Library.
	In January 2001 the Drug Strategy Unit commissioned a further independent review of the effectiveness of passive drug dogs, undertaken jointly by the Police Scientific Development Branch and the (then) Defence, Evaluation and Research Agency. The final report is not yet available. The emerging findings confirm that passive drug dogs remain the most effective means of screening non-intrusively for a wide range of drugs.

Prisoners: Hours Confined in Cell

Lord Lester of Herne Hill: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by the Lord Rooker on 16 July (WA 98), why men held in remand centres in May spent, on average, 2.6 hours longer in their cell per weekday than those held in Category B prisons and 3.9 hours longer than those held in Category C; and
	Further to the Written Answer by the Lord Rooker on 16 July (WA 98), why men held in closed Young Offender Institutions in May spent, on average, 2.1 hours longer in their cell per weekday than those held in Category B prisons and 3.4 hours longer than those held in Category C.

Lord Rooker: The only establishment that is designated as a remand centre is Her Majesty's Young Offender Institution/Remand Centre Northallerton. This is because the majority of the prison's population are remand prisoners, compared with other establishments whose population consists of only a minority of remand prisoners. Remand prisoners spend, on average, less time out of cell because they have not been found guilty of any offence and therefore cannot be required to undertake any activity. Their time in prison is frequently interrupted by court appearances so they cannot engage on courses. Therefore, most of their time is spent on recreational activities or in their cells. Category B and C prisons hold sentenced prisoners who would be required to work, take part in education and undertake offending behaviour programmes. They will therefore spend, on average, more time out of cell than remand prisoners.
	The Prison Service is making efforts to increase the amount of purposeful activity available for remand prisoners to participate in and so increase their time out of cell.
	As of 13 August this year, Her Majesty's Young Offender Institution/Remand Centre Northallerton will be introducing a new activity programme that will greatly increase the time remand prisoners spend out of cell to levels more comparable to Category C and B prisons.
	Most young offender institutions hold a mixture of sentenced and remand prisoners. Therefore, the average figure for time spent out of cell will again be lower than most Category B and C prisons which hold only sentenced prisoners.
	The conditions and regimes for juvenile offenders have, however, been transformed by the Prison Service in partnership with the Youth Justice Board. One effect of these improvements has been to highlight that young adult offenders have not fared so well. We are committed to building upon reforms of the youth justice system to improve the standards of custodial accommodation and offending programmes for this latter age group. We are currently considering how best to give effect to this commitment.

Prisoners: Hours Confined in Cell

Lord Lester of Herne Hill: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by the Lord Rooker on 16 July (WA 98), whether the figures quoted for the 'average weekday time out of cell May 2001' are representative of the average times for which different categories of prisoner are allowed out of their cell.

Lord Rooker: The Prison Service does not collect centrally the time out of cell for individual prisoners. The figures quoted for the 'average weekday time out of cell May 2001' are averages based on the time out of cell for all prisoners within a given establishment, regardless of the category of the prisoner.
	When figures are aggregated by function of establishment, prisons are categorised by their main function only. This means that in establishments with multiple functions the time out of cell for different types of prisoners are contained within the average. For example, the female wing at Her Majesty's Prison Winchester is included within the average for that establishment and appears in the table as part of the male local estate. For that reason the averages quoted for categories of prison are not necessarily representative of the average times for which different categories of prisoner are allowed out of their cell.

Children in Secure Facilities: Parental Contact

Lord Hoyle: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they will send a photograph and background information on each child admitted to prison to the Missing Persons Helpline.

Lord Rooker: We do not propose to do so. Other steps are taken to provide parental contact with children and young people in secure facilities. The national standards produced by the Youth Justice Board for England and Wales require youth offending teams supervising officers to maintain contact with the person's parents or primary carer.

Prisoners: Training

Lord Hoyle: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What training is given prior to release to prisoners, particularly long-term inmates; and which outside agencies or industrialists are helping prisons provide courses to prepare prisoners for possible further employment.

Lord Rooker: The Government are committed to increasing educational attainment by prisoners and linking this to employment and learning opportunities on release. The Prison Service provides a range of training to equip prisoners with the relevant skills and qualifications. This includes provision of basic skills, such as literacy and numeracy, and vocational training for particular trades and other occupations. In 2000-01, more than 50,000 nationally recognised qualifications were achieved by prisoners, including around 12,500 literacy and numeracy qualifications at level two, often helping to make them employable for the first time.
	The delivery of this training involves Prison Service instructional officers, further education colleges, learning and skills councils, businesses, industry bodies and others. Since April 2001 this work has been taken forward within a new partnership between the Prison Service and the Department for Education and Skills to improve the education and training of prisoners. It is also connected to the Prison Service's Custody to Work programme, which aims to double the number of prisoners getting jobs on release by April 2004. Better equipped prisoners for available jobs is an important element of that programme, together with a more effective engagement with the business and voluntary sectors and with other agencies, including the Employment Service and the National Probation Service.

Prison Service: Salaries

Lord Hoyle: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How prison staff salaries reflect qualifications and expertise.

Lord Rooker: Most Prison Service staff join at the pay minima of the respective grade, of which there are over 100. The pay rates of civilian staff recognise various forms of specialism e.g. accountancy, auditing, psychology, farm management and industrial craft trades. Specialist prison officers e.g. those working in healthcare, catering, physical education, libraries, works services trades, instructing and as dog handlers currently receive an annual specialist allowance. We are also in the process of introducing market supplements to recognise specialisms such as personnel, procurement, project management, engineering and health and safety.

Prison Governors and Officers: Training

Lord Hoyle: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What professional training is given to governors and prison officers.

Lord Rooker: There is an extensive range of training available to all staff in the Prison Service, from the initial training for new prison officers, through to specific operational training courses and opportunities for staff development.
	The initial training for new prison officers is an 11-week course that is partly residential and partly establishment based. This gives a thorough introduction to the Prison Service and equips officers to maintain security and contribute to prisoner resettlement.
	Serving officers are offered further training to meet the needs of security and the prison regime.
	Security training covers, for example, control and restraint techniques, security management, control room, searching, hostage incidents and use of X-ray equipment.
	Training in prisoner management and care includes, for example, courses for staff who work with young offenders or women prisoners, for those involved in delivering offending behaviour programmes, and for physical education officers.
	Officers are able to pursue a national vocational qualification in custodial care, based on newly-developed national occupational standards which were launched in January this year.
	A new approach to leadership and management development is now being created. It will include a leadership programme and direct support and advice to establishments. This review will take account of the recommendations of Lord Laming of Tewin.
	Details of all current training courses can be found in the latest edition of the Prison Service's Directory of Training, copies of which can be found in the Library.

Slopping Out in Prisons

Lord Lester of Herne Hill: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by the Lord Rooker on 11 July (WA 76), what are the operational reasons for continuing not to provide sanitation in a proportion of cells in segregation units and health care centres.

Lord Rooker: Cells without integral sanitation in segregation units and health care centres are used to hold prisoners while their behaviour is disturbed, violent or destructive and where they are assessed as presenting a serious risk of harm to themselves or others.

Policing of Cannabis

Lord Lester of Herne Hill: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by Lord Rooker of 12 July (WA 85), whether they will introduce specific performance indicators relating to the policing of cannabis; and, if not, why not.

Lord Rooker: We have no plans for introducing specific performance indicators relating to the policing of cannabis.
	The Home Secretary sets the strategic direction for the police service through a small number of ministerial priorities, each measured by a set of performance indicators including the best value suite of performance indicators (BVPIs).
	The priority on drugs, as reflected in the Government's 10-year drugs strategy, is to tackle the misuse of Class A drugs, such as heroin and cocaine, as these are the drugs that cause the greatest harm. A BVPI (No. 129) exists in respect of supply offences involving Class A drugs.
	We do not propose to divert police attention and resources away from tackling Class A drug offences by introducing a specific performance indicator in respect of Class B drugs, such as cannabis.

Sexual Offences Review: Report

Lord Lester of Herne Hill: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	When they intend to respond to Setting the Boundaries, the report of the sexual offences review, published on 4 April 2000; and
	Whether they intend to implement the recommendations of Setting the Boundaries, the report of the sexual offences review, published on 4 April 2001.

Lord Rooker: The recommendations to the Government of the sex offences review, contained in Setting the Boundaries: reforming the law on sex offences were published in July last year.
	We are currently considering over 700 responses to that consultation paper and will announce our decisions about implementation once we have completed our consideration.

Firearms Database

Lord Marlesford: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What progress is being made with the establishment of a central register, as required under Section 39 of the Firearms (Amendment) Act 1977, which came into force on 1 October 1997, of persons who have applied for a shot gun or firearm certificate or to whom a firearm or shot gun certificate has been granted; and whether they still expect this database to be operational in February 2002, as indicated in the Written Answer by the Lord Bassam of Brighton on 23 April.

Lord Rooker: I understand that work has begun on the project, which will create a central register on the police national computer of firearms certificate Holders, drawn from the register already held by local police force systems.
	This development work will continue, but I regret to say that it will not be possible for the register to be implemented on the live operational PNC system until an upgrade of PNC software has been completed. This upgrade is essential for the continued daily operation of PNC, which might otherwise be prejudiced, and should be completed in March 2002 and advised that the firearms certificate holders register will go live as soon as possible after that; timing is dependent on rework necessary to ensure existing applications run on the upgraded software. I am asking the PITO board for a full report on this unwelcome slippage and will write to the noble Lord when this has been received.

Victoria Street: Rough Sleeping

Lord Patten: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether it is the policy of the Metropolitan Police to prevent rough sleeping on the north side of Victoria Street around New Scotland Yard, but to permit it on the south side of Victoria Street and around the precinct of Westminster Cathedral.

Lord Rooker: The Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police tells me that it is not his policy to deal with rough sleepers in the area around New Scotland Yard any differently from rough sleepers elsewhere in Westminster. The perimeter of the New Scotland Yard complex is subject to 24-hour police security patrols and this may also have an effect in reducing the incidence of rough sleeping on the north side of Victoria Street in the immediate vicinity of New Scotland Yard.

Religious Organisations: Home Office Consultation

Lord Goodhart: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Which faith-based organisations have had meetings with Home Office Ministers specifically to discuss policy in the last year.

Lord Rooker: During the last year, Home Office Ministers have met representatives from the Afro-Caribbean Evangelical Alliance, Al Khoei Foundation, An-Nisa Society, Black Churches Civic Forum, Board of Deputies of British Jews, Breakfast Jewish Forum, Church of England, Hasidic community, Jewish Yemenite community, Muslim College, Muslim Council of Britain, Three Faiths Forum and Union of Muslim Organisations.

National Substance Misuse Treatment Agency

Lord Chadlington: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What role the new National Substance Misuse Treatment Agency has had in informing the draft residential care standards for younger adults in relation to people with substance misuse problems.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: The Government began their extensive consultation process on the proposed national minimum standards for care homes for younger adults before the inception of the national treatment agency. The agency's role in setting standards across the substance misuse treatment field will incorporate the new residential care standards once they are finalised, following further consultation with providers.

Nurses: Disclosure of Addresses

Lord Clement-Jones: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	In what circumstances they propose to allow the United Kingdom Central Council for Nursing, Midwifery and Health Visitors to disclose the home address of registered nurses without their consent.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: It is for the council to decide how the register will be kept and the means of obtaining access to it. Our proposals for legislation to replace the council envisage that its successor should have a similar power, subject to a duty to consult those affected. They do not require the publication of home addresses of registrants on the register. The responses to consultation are now being carefully considered and a report will be published in due course.

Patients: Intermediate Care

Baroness Barker: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What percentage of patients leaving intermediate care will go to (i) their own home, (ii) sheltered or very sheltered accommodation, (iii) a care home, or (iv) an acute, medical or long stay geriatric ward.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: Data have not been collected on where people who have left intermediate care have gone.
	The national research currently being commissioned by the Department of Health to evaluate intermediate care will provide information on this in due course.

Patients: Intermediate Care

Baroness Barker: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What plans, reports or studies are currently being undertaken concerning the provision of intermediate care following the National Health Service Plan; and who is undertaking them.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: The National Service Framework for Older People, published on 27 March, made it clear that the National Health Service and councils should, by January 2002, agree three-year implementation plans for intermediate care, as part of their local action plans and joint investment plans. These plans will be reviewed by NHS regional offices and social care regions to ensure that they deliver the requirements set out in the NHS Plan and the National Service Framework for Older People. The NHS was asked to submit specific data on investment and activity for intermediate care and community equipment as part of 2001-02 service and financial frameworks (SaFFs). This data is currently being validated. Local action plans for older people's services, submitted as part of the SaFF process, indicated how the 2001-02 'must do' targets and milestones were to be planned for, and included information on how the agreed investment and activity for intermediate care in 2001-02 will be delivered.
	In addition to local evaluations, the Department of Health is currently commissioning national research which will evaluate intermediate care. The specification for this work asked researchers to focus on hospital acute admissions, lengths of stay, discharges, and re-admissions; health and social outcomes for users and carers; user and carer satisfaction; costs and savings to the NHS and other agencies; as well as the cost-effectiveness of intermediate care.

Nursing Homes: Self-funders

Baroness Barker: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they will publish and place in the Library of the House, as soon as the information is available, a copy of the composite returns for each health authority of the survey of self-funders in nursing homes in England setting out:
	(a) the number and type of establishment;
	(b) the number of registered nursing beds;
	(c) the number of occupied nursing beds;
	(d) the number of people registered with a GP indicating where this is (i) within the registering health authority, (ii) within another health authority, (iii) not registered;
	(e) how many clients pay for full costs of their care (i) to the home directly, (ii) via the local authority, (iii) via an independent third party; and
	(f) how many receive income support at a preserved rights rate.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: The Department of Health is carrying out a survey of those funding their own care (self-funders) in nursing homes via health authorities. Health authorities have until 27 July to provide all the information on self-funders. We intend to make available a breakdown of all the data by health authority on the department's website at www.doh.gov.uk/jointunit/freenursingcare during August after this has been analysed.

Periodontal Disease

Lord Lester of Herne Hill: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What measures the National Health Service will introduce to tackle the problem revealed by the Adult Dental Health Survey (1998) that some 42 per cent of adults over the age of 21 have a loss of about one-third of root length as a result of periodontal disease; and
	How they intend to respond to the Adult Dental Health Survey (1998) which highlights the widespread incidence of periodontal disease among the adult population; and whether they will invest in periodontal disease care and treatment sufficiently to ensure high quality care and treatment for people suffering from periodontal disease across the United Kingdom.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: As well as rewarding dentists for giving preventive care and advice to National Health Service patients, the general dental services contract already provides for both surgical and non-surgical periodontal treatment. The Government are committed to improving access to NHS dentistry. By September anyone requiring dental treatment will be able to find an NHS dentist by calling NHS Direct. We will monitor the effect of improved access to NHS dentistry on periodontal disease.

National Heart Hospital, Westmoreland Street

Lord Clement-Jones: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they plan to acquire the National Heart Hospital in Westmoreland Street, London; and, if so, what progress is being made on the acquisition.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: The National Health Service is aware that the current owners of the Heart Hospital, a private hospital situated in Westmoreland Street, London, may be trying to dispose of the business. The local NHS trust has made informal soundings and is currently assessing the potential of the facility for NHS use.

Mentally Handicapped People: Housing

Lord Pearson of Rannoch: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they intend that:
	(a) mentally handicapped people should be able to live in village communities when that is what they or their families choose;
	(b) new village communities should be developed to meet demand, including those which could be created by modifying existing hospital sites; and
	(c) if so, whether they will consider issuing statutory guidance to make sure that such intentions are respected at local level in future.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: Valuing People, the White Paper on learning disability published on 20 March 2001, makes clear that local councils in considering the future housing, care and support needs of people with learning disabilities and their families must ensure that all options are considered. These options should include small-scale ordinary housing, supported living and village and intentional communities. Councils should respect the preferences of individuals and their families, wherever the preferred options will meet individuals' assessed needs and are affordable.
	It remains the responsibility of local statutory authorities to determine the precise pattern of services to be developed in their area as they are best placed to make such decisions in the light of the Department of Health's guidance and their local knowledge of needs and resources. This could include the development of village communities on suitable hospital sites.
	We shall be issuing statutory guidance on implementing the proposals set out in Valuing People: A New Strategy for Learning Disability for the 21st Century. This will confirm that local authorities must not rule out any of the options when considering the future housing, care and support needs of people with learning disabilities and their families. We are currently consulting on the guidance.

NHS Oncology Budgets

Baroness Northover: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What were the overall oncology budgets for National Health Service trusts in London for each of the last three years; and
	What were the oncology budgets for each of the last three years for (a) Guy's Hospital, (b) the Royal Marsden Hospital and (c) St Thomas' Hospital; and
	What discussions they have had with, and what directions they have given to, the chief executives of health authorities to ensure that budgets in oncology are (a) maintained and (b) spent exclusively on cancer care and cancer services; and
	What assessment they have made of shortfalls in National Health Service oncology drugs budgets; and
	What plans they have to monitor the distribution of National Health Service oncology drugs budgets to treaters; and
	What is their estimate of the percentage of National Health Service oncology drugs budgets received by oncologists.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: Resources for oncology, including oncology drugs, are included in general allocations to health authorities. No information is held centrally on oncology or oncology drugs budgets. In 2001-02, health authority allocations nationally included a hypothecated amount of £255 million for increases in expenditure on cancer services and health authorities were asked to set aside specific additional resources from this amount to meet a number of priorities on cancer, including implementing the National Institute for Clinical Excellence guidance on new oncology drugs.

NHS Quality Assurance

Lord Clement-Jones: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What steps they are taking to determine which models of quality systems management in common use would be most appropriate to ensure increased quality assurance in the National Health Service; and
	What plans they have to evaluate the different approaches to quality management taken within the National Health Service, together with the current proven techniques, to determine which approach would best prevent further failures from occurring within the service.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: Clinical governance provides National Health Service organisations and health care professionals with a framework for quality improvement which, over time, will develop into a single, coherent local programme for assuring and improving the quality of clinical services.
	National Health Service organisations are using a number of different tools to help them implement their own local arrangements to achieve the key components of clinical governance. Some organisations have found the generic quality management schemes (for example ISO 9000, the Excellence Model, Charter Mark and Investors in People) to be useful ways into this process, recognising that these schemes share general management principles with the aims of clinical governance and the Government's overall NHS quality strategy.
	The Cabinet Office document Getting it Together--A Guide to Quality Schemes and the Delivery of Public Services, published March 2001, sets out this work in more detail.
	The Commission for Health Improvement's (CHI's) rolling programme of clinical governance reviews of all NHS bodies is under way. These local reviews evaluate the implementation and adequacy of clinical governance arrangements in NHS organisations.
	The commission also has the capacity for rapid investigation and intervention to help the NHS identify and tackle serious or persistent clinical problems. In addition, CHI is conducting national reviews to evaluate the implementation of national standards set in national service frameworks (on topics such as mental health) and the take up of the National Institute for Clinical Excellence guidance.
	The Commission for Health Improvement has now assessed acute and mental health trusts and health authorities (covering primary care). Further reports have been published, including a review of Bedford Hospital NHS Trust, and these routine review reports will now be published on a regular basis.
	We are creating a national patient safety agency in response to the Chief Medical Officer's report An organisation with a memory. This new agency will manage and evaluate the results from the new NHS-wide mandatory reporting scheme for adverse healthcare events to learn and share lessons across the NHS, to help minimise patient risk and improve the quality and safety of care.
	The existence of the agency will, we believe, through its work, very significantly reduce the likelihood of major issues like Shipman and Bristol. It will do this in large part through helping promote a reporting culture throughout the NHS that benefits patient safety.
	An ongoing research project is evaluating the impact of the NHS Modernisation Agency's clinical governance support programme on participating NHS clinical teams. This project is due to finish at the end of 2002.

NHS Quality Assurance

Lord Clement-Jones: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What plans they have to discuss the basic principles of quality management within the National Health Service, together with the appropriate training of National Health Service staff in these principles, with professional bodies like the Institute of Quality Assurance; and
	What training in quality management principles is provided to National Health Service management and personnel.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: The NHS Modernisation Agency is a recently launched major initiative within the National Health Service enabling a wide variety of NHS organisations to involve staff and patients in improving services. The agency is using a variety of quality improvement methods and procedures in its work to support NHS organisations on the ground.
	The NHS Modernisation Agency combines the work of several pre-existing national teams including the NHS clinical governance support team, national patients access team and primary care development team. The Leadership Centre within the NHS Modernisation Agency also provides access to quality management principles, tools and techniques for NHS leaders.
	Individual NHS organisations also provide opportunities for their own managers to develop necessary quality management skills through continuing professional development and through other forms of management development offered by academic institutions (for example, Master of Business Administration courses) and professional bodies (for example, the Institute of Health Management).

NHS Quality Assurance

Lord Clement-Jones: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What model of quality management system is in use in the National Health Service to establish and evaluate basic performance measures; and
	What steps they have taken to ensure better quality management within the National Health Service.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: Quality is the heart of the Government's agenda for modernising the National Health Service. Quality of care is increasingly being taken into account when judging the performance of NHS organisations.
	The basic elements of the NHS quality management system--as set out in A First Class Service-Quality in the new NHS, published in 1998--are all now in place; these are: clear national standards to help raise standards of care and reduce unacceptable variations for specific treatments, conditions and for patient safety, through routes including the National Institute for Clinical Excellence, national service frameworks and a National Cancer Plan; modern organisational delivery mechanisms to implement national standards effectively, dependably and safely--coordinated through comprehensive clinical governance arrangements; and strong monitoring mechanisms--including the Commission for Health Improvement, the NHS Performance Assessment Framework, national and local patient surveys.
	This agenda is underpinned by the Health Act 1999, which places a statutory duty of quality on NHS organisations continuously to monitor and improve the quality of the health care that they provide.
	The NHS Plan, published July 2000, takes this quality agenda further to cover improving customer service and patient/citizen representation and also sets out plans for a new mandatory reporting scheme for adverse healthcare events, to help minimise risks to patients and improve the quality and safety of patient care.
	This is a substantial agenda of reform, requiring major changes to culture and working practices throughout the NHS. However, we have made a good start towards implementing this agenda--increasingly NHS systems and practices are beginning to be re-focused on improving quality and people are beginning to get better care as a result.

Clinical Negligence

Lord Hunt of Wirral: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What is the additional cost to the Department of Health for damages in clinical negligence cases (over and above provisions and estimates totalling £3.9 billion at 31 March as noted by the National Audit Office) arising from the lowering of the discount rate for personal injury cases from 3 to 2- per cent announced by the Lord Chancellor on 27 June.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: The Lord Chancellor's Department is carrying out a full assessment of the impact of the new discount rate, which is being prepared and will be published in due course.

NHS Waiting Lists

Lord Jacobs: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How many National Health Service patients are waiting more than four weeks for:
	(a) cataract removal;
	(b) heart bypass;
	(c) hernia operation; and
	(d) knee replacement; and
	How many National Health Service patients have been waiting for an operation for more than four weeks; which are the 10 operations making up the highest percentage of this waiting list; and how many patients have been waiting more than four weeks for each of these 10 operations.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: Data on the number of patients currently waiting are only collected by specialty not by procedure and by the number waiting over three months not over four weeks. Therefore, data cannot be provided on the number of patients currently waiting over four weeks for operations.
	The percentage of patients waiting over three months at the end of May 2001 was 50 per cent.

NHS Operations: Cost

Lord Jacobs: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How the cost of the following operation in the United Kingdom National Health Service compares with the costs in France shown in brackets, as reported in The Sunday Times on 22 July:
	(a) cataract removal (£1,000);
	(b) heart bypass (£7,000);
	(c) hernia operation (£1,000); and
	(d) knee replacement (£4,000).

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: The costs within the National Health Service compare favourably with those quoted in the article. The following list shows the straightforward comparison, based on the definitions used in the NHS.
	
		
			  NHS Article 
			 (a) cataract removal (day cases) £568 £1,000 
			 (b) coronary bypass £4,956 £7,000 
			 (c) hernia operation £809 £1,000 
			 (d) knee replacement £4,390 £4,000 
		
	
	In addition the following points should be noted for the figures supplied on the costs within the NHS:
	(i) the NHS costs are the full costs of the NHS service, including ward and nursing costs etc. associated with the inpatient or day case stay and not just the costs of the surgery itself, except for any stay in critical care;
	(ii) the average cost of a stay in a coronary care (intensive) care ward is £388 per day and the length of stay in critical care will be dependent on the individual patient;
	(iii) any ongoing physiotherapy etc. undertaken after the surgery on an outpatient basis is not included;
	(iv) the day case cost is quoted for cataract surgery as the majority of this type of surgery is undertaken as day cases (81 per cent in 1999-2000);
	(v) any costs associated with outpatient attendances before and after surgery are separately identified. This is standard practice across the NHS and allows comparison with the private sector, which charges for each element separately.
	Source:
	Reference Costs 2000 (published November 2000 by Department of Health).

Religious Organisations: Department of Health Consultation

Lord Goodhart: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Which faith-based organisations have had meetings with Department of Health Ministers specifically to discuss policy in the last year.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: There have been no such meetings.

Care Homes for Younger Adults: Standards

Lord Mancroft: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether, in the light of the latest findings of the national treatment outcome research study, they will consider whether the national minimum standards for care homes for younger adults will undermine the ability of drug and alcohol treatment services to ensure residents' engagement with therapy and to prevent social isolation.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: The draft national minimum standards for care homes for younger adults place strong emphasis on meeting the assessed needs of service users and providing appropriate programmes of care. The Government have carried out an in-depth consultation exercise targeted specifically at service users with drug or alcohol problems and we will continue to take users' views into account when developing these standards.

Anti-psychotic Medication

Baroness Barker: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What work has been undertaken to explain the trend in prescribing of anti-psychotic medication; what are the key findings; and whether they will set out prescription numbers for such medication in each of the last five years for each region and health authority for each of the following age groups (i) 0 to 15 years, (ii) 16 to 59 years, and (iii) 60 years and over.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: No work has been done at this stage to explain the recent trends in prescribing of anti-psychotic medication although the figures are monitored. The National Institute for Clinical Excellence is expected to issue guidance on the use of atypical anti-psychotic drugs in December. The available information relates to anti-psychotic medicines dispensed in the community for 1999 and 2000 only; these are set out in the table and are estimates derived from a 1 in 20 sample of prescription items.
	
		Estimated number of prescription items dispensed in the community for anti-psychotic drugs by broad age group 1999 England 
		
			  Prescription items dispensed by community pharmacists and appliance contractors only Prescription items dispensed by dispensing doctors and items personally administered All prescription items dispensed in the community 
			  (Thousands) (Thousands) 
			 Health authority in which item was dispensed Children aged 0-15 years Elderly people aged 60 and over Aged 16 to 59 years All ages All ages 
			Exempt Charged (3)   
			 Bedfordshire 0.1 16.0 13.5 4.2 3.2 37.0 
			 North Essex 0.4 32.1 29.2 6.6 7.6 75.8 
			 South Essex 0.9 23.9 20.3 4.9 0.3 50.3 
			 North West Anglia 0.0 3.4 3.6 1.0 1.8 9.8 
			 Suffolk 0.3 27.6 16.8 5.2 10.1 60.0 
			 East and North Hertfordshire 0.1 18.1 13.6 4.2 1.4 37.4 
			 West Hertfordshire 0.1 19.4 16.0 5.2 0.3 41.0 
			 Cambridgeshire 0.3 20.0 17.0 5.5 10.7 53.5 
			 Norfolk 0.2 30.1 34.6 7.9 14.7 87.5 
			 Total Eastern Region 2.4 190.6 164.5 44.7 50.0 452.3 
			 Hillingdon 0.0 5.8 6.9 2.0 0.0 14.7 
			 Kensington and Chelsea and Westminster 0.1 7.0 14.4 2.5 0.0 24.0 
			 Enfield and Haringey 0.1 16.3 22.7 3.8 0.0 42.8 
			 Redbridge and Waltham Forest 0.3 16.9 15.7 3.4 0.0 36.3 
			 Bexley and Greenwich 0.2 15.6 12.1 3.0 0.0 30.9 
			 Bromley 0.1 11.9 8.0 2.4 0.0 22.4 
			 Croydon 0.0 11.9 15.9 2.9 0.0 30.7 
			 Kingston and Richmond 0.1 11.5 9.6 3.2 0.0 24.4 
			 Lambeth, Southwark and Lewisham 0.2 25.5 32.2 4.0 0.0 61.9 
			 Merton, Sutton and Wandsworth 0.1 21.8 22.8 4.7 0.0 49.3 
			 Barking and Havering 0.2 14.0 12.8 3.4 0.0 30.4 
			 Barnet 0.1 16.3 10.1 3.2 0.0 29.8 
			 Brent and Harrow 0.1 12.7 17.5 3.5 0.0 33.9 
			 Camden and Islington 0.0 9.5 26.3 2.8 0.0 38.6 
			 Ealing, Hammersmith and Hounslow 0.2 20.2 29.6 5.2 0.0 55.1 
			 East London and The City 0.5 13.5 33.8 3.2 0.0 51.1 
			 Total London Region 2.0 230.4 290.4 53.3 0.0 576.2 
			 South Lancashire 0.1 12.8 9.5 3.5 0.2 26.1 
			 Liverpool 0.4 26.1 33.9 2.7 0.0 63.0 
			 Manchester 0.1 22.8 39.8 3.7 0.0 66.4 
			 Morecambe Bay 0.1 18.8 14.7 3.4 2.0 39.0 
			 St Helens and Knowsley 0.1 17.5 23.6 2.9 0.0 44.1 
			 Salford and Trafford 0.2 29.7 29.8 4.8 0.0 64.5 
			 Sefton 0.1 17.9 23.7 2.7 0.0 44.4 
			 Stockport 0.2 26.5 19.9 4.7 0.0 51.2 
			 West Pennine 0.1 19.8 22.5 3.9 0.0 46.4 
			 Bury and Rochdale 0.3 21.1 23.7 4.2 0.0 49.3 
			 North Cheshire 0.1 15.2 17.8 3.4 0.1 36.6 
			 South Cheshire 0.2 32.7 22.9 5.6 2.5 63.8 
			 East Lancashire 0.2 25.2 30.3 6.0 0.6 62.2 
			 North West Lancashire 0.1 27.9 24.2 5.2 0.9 58.2 
			 Wigan and Bolton 0.0 28.5 24.6 5.1 0.0 58.2 
			 Wirral 0.0 17.9 25.1 3.8 0.0 46.8 
			 Total North West Region 2.4 360.3 385.9 65.3 6.2 820.2 
			 Bradford 0.2 21.7 26.9 4.0 0.8 53.7 
			 County Durham and Darlington 0.3 28.7 27.4 6.4 5.1 67.8 
			 East Riding and Hull 0.1 25.2 22.4 5.0 3.3 55.9 
			 Gateshead and South Tyneside 0.3 19.4 18.5 3.4 0.2 41.8 
			 Leeds 0.2 37.5 38.7 8.0 0.5 84.8 
			 Newcastle and North Tyneside 0.2 28.5 29.0 4.4 0.0 62.1 
			 North Cumbria 0.2 13.2 13.3 3.4 2.9 32.9 
			 Northumberland 0.1 11.4 10.9 2.3 1.5 26.2 
			 Sunderland 0.1 13.2 11.5 1.9 0.0 26.7 
			 Tees 0.3 27.5 25.9 4.5 0.1 58.4 
			 Wakefield 0.2 15.0 13.2 3.6 1.5 33.5 
			 North Yorkshire 0.3 27.6 18.0 5.7 8.2 59.8 
			 Calderdale and Kirklees 0.3 28.9 23.3 5.5 0.6 58.6 
			 Total Northern & Yorkshire Region 2.8 297.9 278.9 58.0 24.6 662.3 
			 Berkshire 0.2 24.1 20.8 7.2 2.4 54.8 
			 Buckinghamshire 0.2 20.0 16.8 5.2 2.5 44.7 
			 East Kent 0.4 27.9 24.5 4.2 3.5 60.5 
			 West Kent 0.3 33.8 31.1 8.9 3.9 78.1 
			 East Surrey 0.0 16.9 11.1 3.8 0.9 32.8 
			 West Surrey 0.1 21.9 17.4 6.1 0.7 46.3 
			 East Sussex, Brighton and Hove 0.2 38.1 35.5 6.8 2.1 82.7 
			 West Sussex 0.2 40.3 19.9 7.8 3.4 71.6 
			 Northamptonshire 0.3 19.7 19.9 5.2 3.2 48.2 
			 Oxfordshire 0.1 14.8 14.3 4.9 6.6 40.7 
			 North and Mid Hampshire 0.4 18.8 15.9 6.1 3.7 44.9 
			 Portsmouth and South East Hampshire 0.3 26.3 19.6 4.1 0.4 50.7 
			 Southampton and South West Hampshire 0.3 24.6 21.4 6.7 1.0 54.1 
			 Isle Of Wight 0.1 7.5 5.5 0.9 0.4 14.4 
			 Total South East Region 3.2 335.0 273.7 77.9 34.7 724.4 
			 Somerset 0.4 18.5 13.8 3.3 3.4 39.4 
			 South and West Devon 0.3 29.4 32.3 5.4 1.5 68.9 
			 Wiltshire 0.2 23.3 19.5 5.5 2.8 51.3 
			 Avon 0.5 41.6 38.4 8.3 1.8 90.6 
			 Cornwall and Isles Of Scilly 0.6 19.9 19.6 3.5 8.2 51.7 
			 Dorset 0.7 34.1 24.3 6.9 3.6 69.6 
			 North and East Devon 0.5 20.3 19.5 4.2 4.8 49.3 
			 Gloucestershire 0.5 19.5 15.2 5.4 4.7 45.4 
			 Total South West Region 3.8 206.7 182.5 42.4 30.7 466.1 
			 Barnsley 0.1 11.0 11.0 2.7 0.9 25.7 
			 North Derbyshire 0.1 16.0 13.3 3.1 2.3 34.7 
			 Southern Derbyshire 0.2 25.6 18.0 5.0 2.1 50.8 
			 Doncaster 0.1 13.4 12.4 2.6 0.5 29.0 
			 Leicestershire 0.4 30.6 33.2 7.1 2.7 74.0 
			 Lincolnshire 0.3 27.5 18.5 5.6 14.6 66.5 
			 North Nottinghamshire 0.2 20.9 10.2 3.2 1.1 35.6 
			 Nottingham 0.1 27.2 19.2 5.9 1.5 54.0 
			 Rotherham 0.2 17.3 9.9 2.2 0.3 29.9 
			 Sheffield 0.2 24.0 21.7 3.7 0.1 49.6 
			 South Humber 0.1 13.0 12.3 3.0 4.4 32.8 
			 Total Trent Region 2.0 226.5 179.6 44.2 30.5 482.7 
			 Birmingham 1.1 42.1 56.4 7.4 0.0 107.0 
			 Coventry 0.1 15.2 15.8 3.3 0.1 34.5 
			 Dudley 0.2 13.0 12.7 3.8 0.0 29.6 
			 Herefordshire 0.1 5.2 4.9 1.3 2.6 14.1 
			 Sandwell 0.1 12.5 13.7 2.4 0.0 28.6 
			 Shropshire 0.2 16.8 13.3 3.4 4.1 37.8 
			 Solihull 0.0 5.3 7.6 2.0 0.0 14.9 
			 North Staffordshire 0.1 24.0 18.0 5.3 1.1 48.5 
			 South Staffordshire 0.4 22.2 15.1 5.1 4.3 47.1 
			 Walsall 0.2 16.1 13.8 2.7 0.0 32.7 
			 Warwickshire 0.2 19.3 15.1 4.7 4.5 43.8 
			 Wolverhampton 0.1 10.5 11.2 2.0 0.0 23.8 
			 Worcestershire 0.2 21.6 13.9 3.4 3.4 42.4 
			 Total West Midlands Region 3.0 223.7 211.4 46.8 20.0 504.9 
			 England 21.7 2,071.0 1,966.9 432.5 196.8 4,689.0 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. The age related information is based on an analysis of those not required to pay a charge indicated by the categories completed on the back of the prescription form. The estimates are based on a 1 in 20 sample of all prescription items submitted to the Prescription Pricing Authority by community pharmacists and appliance contractors only. Dispensing doctor prescriptions were not analysed into categories in 1999. Personally administered items are free of charge. Small numbers in the original sample may cause some variation in the estimates.
	2. Antipsychotics are defined within British National Formulary paragraph 4.2.1, antipsychotic drugs.
	3. Charged prescriptions also includes prescriptions obtained by patients with a pre-payment certificate.
	
		Estimated number of prescription items dispensed in the community for anti-psychotic drugs by broad age group, 2000 England 
		
			  Prescription items dispensed by community pharmacists and appliance contractors only Prescription items dispensed by dispensing doctors and items personally administered All prescription items dispensed in the community 
			  (Thousands) (Thousands) 
			 Health authority in which item was dispensed Children aged 0-15 years Elderly people aged 60 and over Aged 16 to 59 years All ages All ages 
			Exempt Charged (3)   
			 Bedfordshire 0.3 17.6 15.7 4.3 3.4 41.2 
			 North Essex 0.3 35.1 29.6 6.5 7.9 79.5 
			 South Essex 0.7 24.7 22.7 5.9 0.3 54.2 
			 Suffolk 0.3 29.2 18.6 5.3 10.1 63.6 
			 East and North Hertfordshire 0.1 18.4 14.8 4.7 1.5 39.5 
			 West Hertfordshire 0.2 22.4 14.8 5.2 0.3 42.9 
			 Cambridgeshire 0.4 24.1 19.7 7.1 11.4 62.8 
			 Norfolk 0.2 33.6 40.6 8.4 15.6 98.3 
			 Total Eastern Region 2.6 205.1 176.4 47.4 50.5 482.0 
			 Hillingdon 0.1 7.2 5.9 2.3 0.0 15.7 
			 Kensington and Chelsea And Westminster 0.0 7.4 15.7 3.3 0.0 26.3 
			 Enfield and Haringey 0.1 16.2 24.8 3.9 0.0 44.9 
			 Redbridge and Waltham Forest 0.3 18.7 14.8 4.0 0.0 37.7 
			 Bexley and Greenwich 0.2 15.7 12.7 2.9 0.0 31.5 
			 Bromley 0.0 12.5 7.8 2.7 0.0 22.9 
			 Croydon 0.2 13.6 16.3 2.9 0.0 33.0 
			 Kingston and Richmond 0.1 12.6 9.6 3.9 0.0 26.1 
			 Lambeth, Southwark And Lewisham 0.2 27.6 35.1 4.5 0.0 67.3 
			 Merton, Sutton and Wandsworth 0.3 25.2 23.1 5.3 0.0 53.9 
			 Barking and Havering 0.1 15.3 12.8 3.7 0.0 31.9 
			 Barnet 0.0 16.4 11.1 3.3 0.0 30.7 
			 Brent and Harrow 0.0 13.1 18.5 4.2 0.0 35.7 
			 Camden and Islington 0.1 9.6 26.5 3.1 0.0 39.4 
			 Ealing, Hammersmith and Hounslow 0.2 20.2 31.8 5.8 0.0 58.0 
			 East London and The City 0.2 14.7 36.0 3.6 0.0 54.5 
			 Total London Region 2.1 245.9 302.3 59.2 0.0 609.6 
			 South Lancashire 0.2 13.3 10.9 3.7 0.2 28.2 
			 Liverpool 0.1 26.7 36.1 3.3 0.0 66.3 
			 Manchester 0.3 23.8 43.5 3.9 0.0 71.5 
			 Morecambe Bay 0.2 20.0 14.3 4.1 2.2 40.8 
			 St Helens and Knowsley 0.2 19.4 24.7 3.6 0.0 47.9 
			 Salford and Trafford 0.2 34.2 30.8 5.2 0.0 70.4 
			 Sefton 0.1 20.9 23.3 3.7 0.0 48.0 
			 Stockport 0.2 26.9 21.8 4.7 0.0 53.6 
			 West Pennine 0.1 21.5 23.4 4.4 0.0 49.4 
			 Bury and Rochdale 0.1 22.0 24.5 5.1 0.0 51.8 
			 North Cheshire 0.2 15.1 18.2 3.7 0.1 37.4 
			 South Cheshire 0.2 33.8 25.5 6.4 2.3 68.2 
			 East Lancashire 0.3 27.1 32.5 5.9 0.6 66.3 
			 North West Lancashire 0.3 29.1 27.5 5.5 0.8 63.2 
			 Wigan and Bolton 0.2 31.1 26.9 5.4 0.0 63.6 
			 Wirral 0.1 21.5 23.7 3.9 0.0 49.3 
			 Total North West Region 2.8 386.5 407.7 72.7 6.2 876.0 
			 Bradford 0.2 23.7 26.7 4.2 0.2 54.9 
			 County Durham and Darlington 0.5 30.1 30.4 6.9 4.9 72.7 
			 East Riding and Hull 0.1 26.0 23.4 5.4 3.7 58.6 
			 Gateshead and South Tyneside 0.2 19.7 18.7 2.9 0.1 41.7 
			 Leeds 0.3 38.8 42.1 8.1 0.5 89.8 
			 Newcastle and North Tyneside 0.4 30.4 30.9 4.4 0.0 66.1 
			 North Cumbria 0.3 14.7 12.6 3.7 3.1 34.4 
			 Northumberland 0.3 11.8 11.8 2.6 1.6 28.2 
			 Sunderland 0.2 12.7 11.3 2.4 0.0 26.6 
			 Tees 0.5 28.9 27.4 4.3 0.2 61.3 
			 Wakefield 0.1 16.2 13.7 3.7 1.5 35.1 
			 North Yorkshire 0.2 28.9 17.5 6.0 8.5 61.1 
			 Calderdale and Kirklees 0.3 31.1 25.3 5.8 0.6 63.2 
			 Total Northern & Yorkshire Region 3.5 313.0 291.8 60.4 24.9 693.5 
			 Berkshire 0.2 26.0 21.3 8.1 2.6 58.1 
			 Buckinghamshire 0.2 23.1 16.9 6.5 2.3 49.0 
			 East Kent 0.9 26.6 25.4 4.8 3.5 61.2 
			 West Kent 0.6 35.2 32.7 9.1 4.0 81.6 
			 East Surrey 0.2 17.3 10.2 3.6 0.9 32.2 
			 West Surrey 0.2 22.9 18.2 6.5 0.7 48.5 
			 East Sussex, Brighton And Hove 0.4 38.6 37.4 7.5 2.1 86.0 
			 West Sussex 0.4 42.1 22.3 9.2 3.4 77.4 
			 Northamptonshire 0.3 19.5 19.8 6.2 3.2 48.9 
			 Oxfordshire 0.2 16.8 14.5 5.2 7.1 43.8 
			 North and Mid Hampshire 0.6 19.1 16.7 6.0 3.6 46.0 
			 Portsmouth and South East Hampshire 0.3 27.9 21.4 4.6 0.3 54.5 
			 Southampton and South West Hampshire 0.2 26.6 22.0 7.6 1.0 57.4 
			 Isle of Wight 0.0 7.3 6.3 1.3 0.5 15.4 
			 Total South East Region 4.6 348.8 285.2 86.1 35.2 759.9 
			 Somerset 0.3 20.2 15.0 3.1 3.1 41.7 
			 South and West Devon 0.4 32.4 34.9 5.7 1.4 74.8 
			 Wiltshire 0.1 25.1 19.9 5.9 2.8 53.8 
			 Avon 0.4 43.7 43.0 8.6 1.8 97.5 
			 Cornwall and Isles Of Scilly 0.6 19.0 21.8 3.1 8.0 52.6 
			 Dorset 0.6 33.7 24.5 6.1 3.4 68.3 
			 North and East Devon 0.5 21.1 19.9 4.3 4.8 50.5 
			 Gloucestershire 0.4 21.2 15.9 5.4 4.7 47.6 
			 Total South West Region 3.3 216.2 194.9 42.2 30.0 486.8 
			 Barnsley 0.0 10.8 10.5 2.6 0.9 24.6 
			 North Derbyshire 0.1 18.3 13.8 3.7 2.3 38.2 
			 Southern Derbyshire 0.2 25.8 19.0 5.0 2.0 51.9 
			 Doncaster 0.2 13.5 12.8 3.0 0.5 30.0 
			 Leicestershire 0.4 32.3 35.2 8.2 2.7 78.8 
			 Lincolnshire 0.4 27.7 19.7 5.8 14.9 68.5 
			 North Nottinghamshire 0.2 21.0 10.3 3.5 1.2 36.3 
			 Nottingham 0.2 29.1 19.7 5.8 1.5 56.4 
			 Rotherham 0.1 23.5 11.2 1.9 0.2 36.9 
			 Sheffield 0.2 23.7 20.4 4.1 0.1 48.5 
			 South Humber 0.3 14.0 12.2 2.8 4.3 33.6 
			 Total Trent Region 2.3 239.5 184.9 46.4 30.5 503.7 
			 Birmingham 1.1 44.3 58.5 8.1 0.0 111.9 
			 Coventry 0.2 14.5 17.9 3.4 0.1 36.2 
			 Dudley 0.2 14.7 12.9 3.7 0.0 31.5 
			 Herefordshire 0.1 5.8 5.0 1.1 2.6 14.6 
			 Sandwell 0.1 13.5 12.1 2.6 0.0 28.3 
			 Shropshire 0.2 16.8 14.6 3.8 4.2 39.6 
			 Solihull 0.0 7.3 6.7 2.1 0.0 16.2 
			 North Staffordshire 0.1 26.0 17.6 5.3 1.0 50.0 
			 South Staffordshire 0.5 24.2 17.2 4.8 3.9 50.6 
			 Walsall 0.1 16.4 13.4 2.9 0.0 32.7 
			 Warwickshire 0.3 20.2 15.8 5.2 4.6 46.2 
			 Wolverhampton 0.1 11.0 12.2 1.8 0.0 25.1 
			 Worcestershire 0.4 23.6 14.5 3.7 3.1 45.3 
			 Total West Midlands Region 3.6 238.2 218.3 48.6 19.5 528.2 
			 England 24.8 2,193.2 2,061.6 463.1 197.0 4,939.7 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. The age related information is based on an analysis of those not required to pay a charge indicated by the categories completed on the back of the prescription form. The estimates are based on a 1 in 20 sample of all prescription items submitted to the Prescription Pricing Authority by community pharmacists and appliance contractors only. Dispensing doctor prescriptions were not analysed into categories for most of 2000. Personally administered items are free of charge. Small numbers in the original sample may cause some variation in the estimates.
	2. Antipsychotics are defined within British National Formulary paragraph 4.2.1, antipsychotic drugs.
	3. Charged prescriptions also includes prescriptions obtained by patients with a pre-payment certificate.

Anti-psychotic Medication

Baroness Barker: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they will indicate the cost to the National Health Service of prescriptions of anti-psychotic medication (a) in total and (b) for those aged 60 and over.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: The available information relates to anti-psychotic medicines dispensed in the community; this is set out in the table. Reliable information is not available about the cost of anti-psychotic medication used by hospitals.
	
		The estimated net ingredient cost of prescription items dispensed in the community for anti-psychotic drugs by broad age group 2000 England 
		
			 Prescription items dispensed by community pharmacists and appliance contractors only Prescription items dispensed by dispensing doctors and items personally administered All prescription items dispensed in the community 
			 (£ Thousands) (£ Thousands) 
			 Children aged 0-15 years Elderly people aged 60 and over Aged 16 to 59 years All ages All ages 
			   Exempt Charged (3)   
			 554 24.007 54.332 12.755 2.893 94.540 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. The age related information is based on an analysis of those not required to pay a charge indicated by the categories completed on the back of the prescription form. The estimates are based on a 1 in 20 sample of all prescription items submitted to the Prescription Pricing Authority by community pharmacists and appliance contractors only. Dispensing doctor prescriptions were not analysed into categories for most of 2000. Personally administered items are free of charge.
	2. Anti-psychotics are defined within British National Formulary paragraph 4.2.1, antipsychotic drugs.
	Charged prescriptions also includes the net ingredient cost of prescriptions obtained by patients with a pre-payment certificate.
	4. The net ingredient cost (NIC) is the basic cost of a drug and does not take account of discounts, dispensing costs, fees or prescription charges income.

Anti-psychotic Medication

Baroness Barker: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they will give the numbers of prescriptions dispensed for anti-psychotic medicine to hospital patients in each health authority in England for the following ages:
	(a) up to 16;
	(b) 16 to 59; and
	(c) 60 and over.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: Data of prescriptions dispensed for anti-psychotic medicine in hospitals are not available centrally.

Anti-psychotic Medication

Baroness Barker: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they will give the numbers of prescriptions dispensed for anti-psychotic medicine to non-hospital patients in each health authority in England for the following ages:
	(a) up to 16;
	(b) 16 to 59; and
	(c) 60 and over.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: The number of prescription items dispensed in the community in England for atypical anti-psychotic drugs, 1999 and 2000, are provided in the table. These are estimates derived from a one in 20 sample of prescription items.
	
		Number of prescription items dispensed in the community in England for atypical anti-psychotic drugs, 1999 and 2000 England
		
			  Prescription items (thousands) 
			 Health Authority in which item was dispsensed 1999 2000 
			 Avon 13.4 21.7 
			 Barking and Havering 5.1 8.0 
			 Barnet 6.9 10.1 
			 Barnsley 2.6 4.1 
			 Bedfordshire 4.7 10.3 
			 Berkshire 11.2 16.2 
			 Bexley and Greenwich 5.7 8.1 
			 Birmingham 16.7 25.3 
			 Bradford 6.8 10.5 
			 Brent and Harrow 8.7 12.6 
			 Bromley 4.8 6.6 
			 Buckinghamshire 9.4 14.7 
			 Bury and Rochdale 6.4 9.6 
			 Calderdale and Kirklees 8.5 14.3 
			 Cambridgeshire 8.6 13.2 
			 Camden and Islington 8.2 11.4 
			 Cornwall and Isles of Scilly 6.2 8.5 
			 County Durham and Darlington 8.5 13.7 
			 Coventry 7.8 12.0 
			 Croydon 7.5 10.9 
			 Doncaster 4.0 5.0 
			 Dorset 10.3 13.8 
			 Dudley 3.1 4.3 
			 Ealing, Hammersmith and  Hounslow 10.7 15.6 
			 East and North Hertfordshire 6.8 10.3 
			 East Kent 12.0 16.5 
			 East Lancashire 9.3 13.9 
			 East London and The City 12.4 17.4 
			 East Riding and Hull 10.1 14.5 
			 East Surrey 5.8 7.3 
			 East Sussex, Brighton and Hove 15.5 22.0 
			 Enfield and Haringey 8.6 13.2 
			 Gateshead and South Tyneside 6.5 8.9 
			 Gloustershire 5.4 8.3 
			 Herefordshire 1.3 2.1 
			 Hillingdon 2.5 3.5 
			 Isle of Wight 3.3 4.9 
			 Kensington and Chelsea and  Westminster 7.6 11.1 
			 Kingston and Richmond 5.4 8.4 
			 Lambeth, Southwark and  Lewisham 15.7 22.8 
			 Leeds 17.1 23.5 
			 Leicestershire 11.6 16.8 
			 Lincolnshire 6.5 10.2 
			 Liverpool 12.8 18.1 
			 Manchester 12.7 18.7 
			 Merton, Sutton and Wandsworth 12.9 18.4 
			 Morecambe Bay 6.2 9.1 
			 Newcastle and North Tyneside 15.6 21.6 
			 Norfolk 9.1 15.5 
			 North and East Devon 9.1 12.8 
			 North and Mid Hampshire 10.2 14.2 
			 North Cheshire 3.8 5.6 
			 North Cumbria 5.9 8.9 
			 North Derbyshire 3.9 5.8 
			 North Essex 12.9 19.0 
			 North Nottinghamshire 4.2 5.6 
			 North Staffordshire 5.2 7.9 
			 North West Anglia 0.8 0.0 
			 North West Lancashire 8.7 14.5 
			 North Yorkshire 8.8 12.6 
			 Northamptonshire 8.6 10.8 
			 Northumberland 5.1 7.6 
			 Nottingham 2.1 3.1 
			 Oxfordshire 9.8 14.5 
			 Portsmouth and South East  Hampshire 8.2 12.7 
			 Redbridge and Waltham Forest 8.2 11.7 
			 Rotherham 4.1 7.1 
			 Salford and Trafford 8.3 13.8 
			 Sandwell 3.6 4.7 
			 Sefton 6.7 10.5 
			 Sheffield 5.2 7.1 
			 Shropshire 6.5 9.2 
			 Solihull 2.5 4.0 
			 Somerset 5.1 8.3 
			 South and West Devon 10.9 17.4 
			 South Cheshire 11.5 17.9 
			 South Essex 8.7 13.8 
			 South Humber 3.4 5.9 
			 South Lancashire 4.2 7.0 
			 South Staffordshire 6.5 9.5 
			 Southampton and South West  Hampshire 11.3 17.2 
			 Southern Derbyshire 3.3 6.1 
			 St Helens and Knowsley 7.1 10.9 
			 Stockport 5.3 8.9 
			 Suffolk 7.0 11.4 
			 Sunderland 4.8 6.7 
			 Tees 8.6 12.6 
			 Wakefield 5.3 9.1 
			 Walsall 5.0 5.7 
			 Warwickshire 8.8 11.8 
			 West Hertfordshire 8.2 12.1 
			 West Kent 14.1 21.4 
			 West Pennine 5.0 8.8 
			 West Surrey 8.9 13.1 
			 West Sussex 12.0 16.6 
			 Wigan and Bolton 9.4 16.0 
			 Wiltshire 10.4 14.1 
			 Wirral 8.9 13.6 
			 Wolverhampton 4.2 5.5 
			 Worcestershire 3.9 7.0 
			  
			 England 772.6 1,149.4 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. The prescription information is from the Prescription Cost Analysis (PCA) system and is based on a full analysis of all prescriptions dispensed in the community, i.e. by community pharmacists and appliance contractors, dispensing doctors and prescriptions.
	2. Atypical antipsychotics are defined within British National Formulary paragraph 4.2.1, antipsychotic drugs, and cover the drug Amisulpride, Clozapine, Olanzapine, Quetiapine, Risperidone and Zotepine.

NHS Waiting Lists

Baroness Barker: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they will rank health authorities in England in order of the highest waiting times per weighted head of population for hospital operations using as the measures (a) those waiting over six months for in-patient treatments; (b) those waiting over 12 months for in-patient treatments; and what proportion of those people waiting are aged (i) 0 to 15 years, (ii) 16 to 59 years, and (iii) 60 years and over.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: The information in the tables relates to all patients awaiting admission to hospital on 31 May 2001. Patients awaiting operations are not identifiable separately nor is an age split possible. Population figures have been weighted on the basis of age and need.
	
		Patients waiting more than 6 months per weighted head of population
		
			 Health Authority  
			 West Surrey HA 0.010 
			 West Sussex HA 0.010 
			 North Cheshire HA 0.009 
			 East Kent HA 0.009 
			 West Kent HA 0.009 
			 East Surrey HA 0.009 
			 Barking & Havering HA 0.008 
			 Redbridge & Waltham Forest HA 0.008 
			 Cornwall & Isles of Scilly HA 0.008 
			 Southampton & SW Hampshire HA 0.008 
			 North Essex HA 0.008 
			 Lambeth, Southwark & Lewisham HA 0.007 
			 East Sussex Brighton and Hove HA 0.007 
			 Salford & Trafford HA 0.007 
			 North & East Devon HA 0.007 
			 Avon HA 0.007 
			 Suffolk HA 0.007 
			 Croydon HA 0.007 
			 South Lancashire HA 0.007 
			 South Essex HA 0.007 
			 South Staffordshire HA 0.007 
			 Bexley, Bromley & Greenwich HA 0.007 
			 Kingston & Richmond HA 0.007 
			 Hertfordshire HA 0.007 
			 Northamptonshire HA 0.007 
			 Isle of Wight, Portsmouth & South East Hampshire  HA 0.006 
			 South and West Devon HA 0.006 
			 Lincolnshire HA 0.006 
			 Wakefield HA 0.006 
			 North Cumbria HA 0.006 
			 Sefton HA 0.006 
			 Barnet, Enfield & Haringey HA 0.006 
			 South Humber HA 0.006 
			 Somerset HA 0.006 
			 East Riding & Hull HA 0.006 
			 South Cheshire HA 0.006 
			 Wiltshire HA 0.006 
			 Norfolk HA 0.006 
			 Buckinghamshire HA 0.006 
			 Stockport HA 0.006 
			 Bedfordshire HA 0.006 
			 North & Mid Hampshire HA 0.006 
			 East Lancashire HA 0.005 
			 Manchester HA 0.005 
			 St Helens & Knowsley HA 0.005 
			 Leeds HA 0.005 
			 Wigan & Bolton HA 0.005 
			 Ealing, Hammersmith & Hounslow HA 0.005 
			 South Derbyshire HA 0.005 
			 Worcestershire HA 0.005 
			 North Derbyshire HA 0.005 
			 Liverpool HA 0.005 
			 Cambridgeshire HA 0.005 
			 Brent & Harrow HA 0.005 
			 Oxfordshire HA 0.005 
			 North Yorkshire HA 0.005 
			 Berkshire HA 0.005 
			 North Nottinghamshire HA 0.005 
			 Hillingdon HA 0.005 
			 East London & City HA 0.004 
			 Bury & Rochdale HA 0.004 
			 Gateshead & South Tyneside HA 0.004 
			 Sheffield HA 0.004 
			 Bradford HA 0.004 
			 West Pennine HA 0.004 
			 Morecambe Bay HA 0.004 
			 Merton, Sutton & Wandsworth HA 0.004 
			 Sunderland HA 0.004 
			 Tees HA 0.004 
			 North West Lancashire HA 0.004 
			 Herefordshire HA 0.004 
			 Warwickshire HA 0.004 
			 Nottingham HA 0.004 
			 Shropshire HA 0.004 
			 Leicestershire HA 0.004 
			 County Durham & Darlington HA 0.003 
			 Camden & Islington HA 0.003 
			 Newcastle & North Tyneside HA 0.003 
			 Northumberland HA 0.003 
			 Wirral HA 0.003 
			 Wolverhampton HA 0.003 
			 Coventry HA 0.003 
			 North Staffordshire HA 0.003 
			 Solihull HA 0.003 
			 Dudley HA 0.003 
			 Calderdale & Kirklees HA 0.003 
			 Gloucestershire HA 0.003 
			 Barnsley HA 0.002 
			 Birmingham HA 0.002 
			 Kensington, Chelsea & Westminster HA 0.002 
			 Sandwell HA 0.002 
			 Rotherham HA 0.002 
			 Doncaster HA 0.002 
			 Walsall HA 0.001 
			 Dorset HA 0.000 
		
	
	
		Patients waiting more than 12 months per weighted head of population
		
			 Health Authority  
			 West Surrey HA 0.003 
			 West Sussex HA 0.002 
			 North Cheshire HA 0.002 
			 Lambeth, Southwark & Lewisham HA 0.002 
			 Salford & Trafford HA 0.002 
			 Southampton & SW Hampshire HA 0.002 
			 East Kent HA 0.002 
			 Croydon HA 0.002 
			 Redbridge & Waltham Forest HA 0.002 
			 East Surrey HA 0.002 
			 West Kent HA 0.002 
			 Isle of Wight, Portsmouth & South East Hampshire  HA 0.002 
			 North Essex HA 0.002 
			 Avon HA 0.002 
			 East Sussex Brighton and Hove HA 0.001 
			 Manchester HA 0.001 
			 North & East Devon HA 0.001 
			 Cornwall & Isles of Scilly HA 0.001 
			 Barking & Havering HA 0.001 
			 South and West Devon HA 0.001 
			 Kingston & Richmond HA 0.001 
			 Hertfordshire HA 0.001 
			 Bedfordshire HA 0.001 
			 Barnet, Enfield & Haringey HA 0.001 
			 Norfolk HA 0.001 
			 Wiltshire HA 0.001 
			 South Staffordshire HA 0.001 
			 Bexley, Bromley & Greenwich HA 0.001 
			 Buckinghamshire HA 0.001 
			 Liverpool HA 0.001 
			 Ealing, Hammersmith & Hounslow HA 0.001 
			 Northamptonshire HA 0.001 
			 Sefton HA 0.001 
			 Hillingdon HA 0.001 
			 St Helens & Knowsley HA 0.001 
			 Brent & Harrow HA 0.001 
			 North & Mid Hampshire HA 0.001 
			 Merton, Sutton & Wandsworth HA 0.001 
			 South Cheshire HA 0.001 
			 Suffolk HA 0.001 
			 Lincolnshire HA 0.001 
			 East London & City HA 0.001 
			 Stockport HA 0.001 
			 Wigan & Bolton HA 0.001 
			 Cambridgeshire HA 0.001 
			 South Lancashire HA 0.001 
			 Oxfordshire HA 0.001 
			 Worcestershire HA 0.001 
			 Somerset HA 0.001 
			 Camden & Islington HA 0.001 
			 South Essex HA 0.001 
			 Bury & Rochdale HA 0.001 
			 Shropshire HA 0.001 
			 Berkshire HA 0.001 
			 Herefordshire HA 0.001 
			 West Pennine HA 0.001 
			 North Cumbria HA 0.001 
			 Morecambe Bay HA 0.001 
			 East Riding & Hull HA 0.001 
			 Wakefield HA 0.000 
			 Leeds HA 0.000 
			 North Staffordshire HA 0.000 
			 Wirral HA 0.000 
			 Leicestershire HA 0.000 
			 South Derbyshire HA 0.000 
			 North West Lancashire HA 0.000 
			 Nottingham HA 0.000 
			 East Lancashire HA 0.000 
			 Dudley HA 0.000 
			 Coventry HA 0.000 
			 Calderdale & Kirklees HA 0.000 
			 Kensington, Chelsea & Westminster HA 0.000 
			 Newcastle & North Tyneside HA 0.000 
			 Birmingham HA 0.000 
			 Gloucestershire HA 0.000 
			 North Yorkshire HA 0.000 
			 Tees HA 0.000 
			 Bradford HA 0.000 
			 Northumberland HA 0.000 
			 Wolverhampton HA 0.000 
			 County Durham & Darlington HA 0.000 
			 North Nottinghamshire HA 0.000 
			 North Derbyshire HA 0.000 
			 Warwickshire HA 0.000 
			 Sunderland HA 0.000 
			 Gateshead & South Tyneside HA 0.000 
			 South Humber HA 0.000 
			 Sheffield HA 0.000 
			 Walsall HA 0.000 
			 Solihull HA 0.000 
			 Sandwell HA 0.000 
			 Barnsley HA 0.000 
			 Rotherham HA 0.000 
			 Doncaster HA 0.000 
			 Dorset HA 0.000 
		
	
	Source:
	Department of Health monthly monitoring

Patient Discharge Delays

Baroness Barker: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	For England and for each health authority in England, what is the number of patients whose discharge from hospital is delayed in each of the following age groups (i) 0 to 15 years, (ii) 16 to 59 years, and (iii) 60 years and over, and what were the reasons for such delays.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: Information is not available centrally in the form requested. Information on the delayed discharges of patients aged over 75 years is collected from each health authority on a quarterly basis. That information has been collected on a consistent basis for the last two years and has been placed in the Library.

Kohll and Decker Judgments

Lord Clement-Jones: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What assessment they have made of the Kohll and Decker cases decided by the European Court of Justice and their consequences for National Health Service patients.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: The Department of Health has fully considered the judgments of the European Court of Justice in the cases of Kohll and Decker and concluded that they have no direct effect on National Health Service patients. These judgments were given in the context of Luxembourg national health insurance law, in circumstances which are not replicated in NHS law within the United Kingdom.

Tobacco Advertising and Promotion Bill

Lord Clement-Jones: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What is their estimate of the number of smoking-related premature deaths that would be avoided per year by the measures contained in the Tobacco Advertising and Promotion Bill.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: Smoking causes around 120,000 deaths a year in total in the United Kingdom. The likely eventual net effect of measures such as those contained in the Tobacco Advertising and Promotion Bill would be to decrease tobacco consumption, and the size of the decrease could lie in a range up to about 5 per cent. It is reasonable to use the mid-point of this range (2.5 per cent.) to indicate the likely effects of a ban and on this basis we estimate that in the longer term up to 3,000 lives a year could be saved.

Tobacco Advertising and Promotion Bill

Lord Clement-Jones: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What is their estimate of the number of smoking-related premature deaths that would result from a two year delay in introducing the measures contained in the Tobacco Advertising and Promotion Bill.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: We have not made such an estimate. We consider it reasonable to estimate that in the longer term a total of 3,000 lives a year in the United Kingdom could be saved by measures such as those in the Tobacco Advertising and Promotion Bill.

Tobacco Advertising and Promotion Bill

Lord Clement-Jones: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What is their estimate of how much smoking costs the National Health Service each year, and how much money would be saved each year in the National Health Service by the introduction of a ban on tobacco advertising.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: Smoking related diseases are estimated to cost the National Health Service in the United Kingdom around £1.5 billion to £1.8 billion each year. If a ban on tobacco advertising led to the estimated 2.5 per cent. reduction in consumption, between about £20 million and £40 million per year might be saved from the NHS budget in England alone. Further proportionate savings could be expected with regard to expenditure in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Tobacco Advertising and Promotion Bill

Lord Clement-Jones: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	(a) How much money they spend each year on advertising and education programmes aimed at stopping people smoking; and (b) what estimate they made of the advertising budget of the tobacco industry in the United Kingdom when preparing to introduce last Session's Tobacco Advertising and Promotion Bill.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: Expenditure on health education campaigns aimed at stopping people smoking in the current and last two years is as follows:
	1999-2000: £15.9 million
	2000-01: £13.73 million
	2001-02: £13.3 million has already been allocated
	The regulatory impact assessment published in connection with the Tobacco Advertising and Promotion Bill stated that approximately £100 million was spent annually by United Kingdom tobacco companies on tobacco advertising and promotion, comprising £50 million on press and poster advertising, £8 million on sports sponsorship other than Formula One, £35 million on sponsorship of the Formula One Grand Prix circuit and about £7 million on direct marketing.
	More recent research suggests that the current figure for Formula One sponsorhip by UK tobacco companies is in the region of £70 million.

Tobacco Advertising and Promotion Bill

Lord Clement-Jones: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What targets they have set for reductions in tobacco consumption by 2010; what proportion of these targets rely on reductions in tobacco advertising; what proportion of targets for the reduction of coronary heart disease and cancer rely on reductions in tobacco advertising; and what legislation is needed to achieve these targets.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: The White Paper Smoking Kills published in December 1998 set the following targets for 2010:
	to 24 per cent. or less by the year 2010;
	to 9 per cent. or less by 2010;
	to 15 per cent. by the year 2010.
	The NHS Cancer Plan in September 2000 added an additional target:
	to 26 per cent. by 2010.
	The White Paper Our Healthier Nation, published in July 1999 set the following targets for reducing mortality from coronary heart disease and cancer:
	(a) to reduce the death rate from cancer in people under 75 by at least a fifth by 2010--saving up to 100,000 lives in total;
	(b) to reduce the death rate from coronary heart disease and stroke and related diseases in people under 75 years by at least two-fifths by 2010--saving up to 200,000 lives in total.
	Tobacco use is a major contributory factor in many cases of cancer and coronary heart disease. Any fall in tobacco consumption as a result of reductions in tobacco advertising will contribute towards reaching these targets, as will a range of other policies designed to reduce the harmful effects of tobacco consumption on public health.

Tobacco Advertising and Promotion Bill

Baroness Northover: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What estimate they have made of the possible reduction of annual tobacco consumption in the United Kingdom as a result of a ban on tobacco advertising; and whether this can only be achieved with legislation to ban tobacco advertising throughout the European Union.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: The likely eventual net effect of measures such as those contained in the Tobacco Advertising and Promotion Bill would be to decrease tobacco consumption, and the size of the decrease could lie in a range up to about 5 per cent. It is reasonable to use the mid-point of this range to indicate the likely effects of a ban. The Government believe that these reductions could be delivered by domestic legislation.
	The Government support European Union action to ban transnational tobacco advertising as this would prevent advertising originating in other Member States having an effect in the United Kingdom.

Tobacco Advertising and Promotion Bill

Baroness Northover: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What meetings the Secretary of State for Health, his special advisers or officials have held with representatives of the tobacco industry since January 2000 to discuss tobacco, tobacco advertising or the protection of employees from passive smoking at work; and
	What meetings the Secretary of State for Health, his special advisers or officials have held with members of the advertising industry to discuss tobacco; and
	What meetings the Prime Minister, members of his policy unit or private staff have held with representatives of the tobacco industry since January 2000 to discuss tobacco, tobacco advertising or the protection of employees from passive smoking at work; and
	What meetings the Prime Minister, members of his policy unit or private staff have held with members of the advertising industry to discuss tobacco.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: It is not the normal practice of government to release details of meetings or discussions with private individuals or companies.

Nursing Homes: Free Nursing Care

Baroness Northover: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether each health authority or primary care trust will be required to draw up its own eligibility criteria in implementing free nursing care in nursing homes.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: Detailed draft guidance issued on 17 July, outlines a standard approach to assessment which will enable National Health Service staff to make consistent decisions throughout the country. The guidance can be found on the Department of Health's website at www.doh.gov.uk/jointunit/freenursingcare.

Maxillo-facial Trauma Services

Baroness Gardner of Parkes: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Why, in view of the Royal College of Surgeons' recommendation of 24-hour availability of maxillo-facial surgery on the site of all accident and emergency departments, the Royal Free Hospital maxillo-facial unit is to be closed; and
	Why the consultant maxillo-facial surgeon post for work at the Royal Free Hospital was withdrawn one week before the date proposed for interviewing the already short-listed candidates.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: The Royal College of Surgeons' recommendation outlined in the Better Care for the Severely Injured Report advocates a requirement for oral and maxillo-facial trauma services to provide 24 hours cover. However the facilities need not be on site and can be derived from network arrangements between adjacent hospitals. The Royal Free Hospital has complied with this recommendation. Following the retirement of the previous postholder, and after unsuccessfully trying to recruit to this post, it was concluded that without senior staff the service was no longer viable. It was therefore agreed that the Eastman Dental Hospital, part of University College London Hospitals NHS Trust, should provide cover for facial trauma for the Royal Free. A protocol was agreed with the accident and emergency department at the Royal Free Hospital and the arrangement has been running satisfactorily since April 2001.
	After the Royal Free Hospital failed to recruit a consultant, an attempt was made to create a joint oral surgery post between University College London NHS Trust and the Royal Free Hampstead NHS Trust.
	At a late stage in the process, University College London indicated that it did not have sufficient funding for its element of the post and had to withdraw. It was subsequently agreed that the Eastman Dental Hospital should provide facial trauma cover for the Royal Free. This arrangement has been running satisfactorily since April 2001 and as a result there are no current plans to create another joint oral surgery post.

Residential Care Standards for Younger Adults

Lord Taverne: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	In the case of treatment of drug and alcohol addicts, how the requirements in the draft residential care standards for younger adults that staff should only enter service users' bedrooms with their permission can be reconciled with the requirement that service users are safeguarded from self harm.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: The draft national minimum standards for care homes for younger adults were developed after extensive consultation with service users and providers. They make explicit reference to individualised procedures for service users at risk of self-harm (or harming others) and provide for any limitations on choice and freedom to be agreed with the service user and specified in the care plan.

Residential Care Standards for Younger Adults

Lord Taverne: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	In the case of treatment of drug and alcohol addicts, how the requirement in the draft residential care standards for younger adults that staff should only enter service users' bedrooms with their permission can be reconciled with the requirement under Section 8 of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 that home owners should use all reasonable and readily available means to prevent the supply and use of prohibited substances on their premises.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: The draft national minimum standards for care homes for younger people were developed after widespread consultation with service users and providers. They make explicit provision for any limitations on choice and freedom imposed by a specialist programme to be agreed with the service user and recorded in the individual care plan.

Human Rights Act 1998

Lord Lester of Herne Hill: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by the Lord Bach on 2 May 2000 (WA 156), whether they consider the Human Rights Act 1998 to be sufficiently "bedded down" to allow them to sign the Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights allowing the individual right of petition; and, if not, why not; and
	Further to the Written Answer by the Baroness Scotland of Asthal on 20 March 2000 (WA 1), whether they consider the Human Rights Act 1998 to be sufficiently "bedded in" to allow them to sign the Optional Protocol to the United Nations Convention for the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women; and, if not, why not; and
	Further to the Written Answer by the Lord Bassam of Brighton on 12 April 2000 (WA 50), whether they consider the Human Rights Act 1998 to be sufficiently well "implemented" and "bedded down" to allow them to sign the Optional Protocol to the United Nations Convention Against Torture; and, if not, why not.

Lord Irvine of Lairg: The Act has been fully in force for only ten months. When it has bedded down we will again review the case for allowing the right of individual petition under these United Nations human rights instruments.

Personal Injury Cases

Lord Hunt of Wirral: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What is the estimate of the additional cost to public funds (identifying, where possible, the separate costs to public bodies, government departments and local authorities) arising from the lowering of the discount rate for personal injury cases from 3 to 2- per cent announced by the Lord Chancellor on 27 June.

Lord Irvine of Lairg: A full assessment of the impact of the new discount rate is being prepared and will be published in due course.

Court Records: Access

Lord Newby: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What is the average time taken to gain access to court records stored on the legacy systems using the new Libra infrastructure; and what was the average time taken to gain access under the pre-Libra dedicated terminals.

Lord Irvine of Lairg: Response times for the main legacy systems on the new Libra infrastucture are tested as part of the acceptance procedures for Libra at each magistrates' courts committee to ensure that they are comparable to those previously recorded under the pre-Libra arrangements. There is no national average time as the latter differ for each MCC.

Democracy and the Will of the People

Lord Moynihan: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by the Lord Privy Seal on 3 July (WA 36) that it is false to suggest that democracy is about the will of the people to be paramount, because,
	"we must have clear laws and independent and objective means of administering them; anything else would risk lynch law and mob rule",
	whether they consider that a democratically-elected or predominantly-elected second Chamber would risk "lynch law and mob rule"; and
	Further to the Written Answer by the Lord Privy Seal on 3 July (WA 36) that the,
	"necessary institutions and safeguards of mature democracy extend well beyond those circumstances where it is appropriate for the will of the people to be paramount",
	whether they will list those institutions and safeguards which they do not believe should be ultimately accountable; and
	Further to the Written Answer by the Lord Privy Seal on 3 July (WA 36) which referred to the need for,
	"clear laws and independent and objective means of administering them; anything else would risk lynch law and mob rule",
	whether they believe that the police should be democratically accountable.

Lord Williams of Mostyn: In bringing forward its further proposals for the reform of the House of Lords, the Government will aim to improve the workings of the constitution without risking lynch law and mob rule. On the more general question of constitutional accountability, the arrangements which govern central and local government, including the police, and the system of justice are many and varied. Any major proposals to change them would be brought forward in legislation in the normal way, as necessary.

RAF Akrotiri and Dhekelia

Lord Avebury: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How many United States military and civilian personnel respectively are deployed at RAF Akrotiri and Dhekelia respectively, as at the latest convenient date.

Lord Bach: A small number of US military and civilian personnel are deployed to the sovereign base areas. This number fluctuates slightly from time to time.

RAF Akrotiri and Dhekelia

Lord Avebury: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What role RAF Akrotiri and Dhekelia play in the implementation of the United States space based infra-red system (SBIRS).

Lord Bach: None.

Droit de Suite

Lord Freyberg: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	When the droit de suite levy will become part of British law; how they intend to inform the public of its introduction; and what arrangements are being made to prepare for this.

Lord Sainsbury of Turville: Droit de suite is a new and complex right. The Government plan to introduce the levy on 1 January 2006--that is, on the last day allowed by the directive harmonising the right. A notice informing the public of the legislation will be mounted on the Patent Office's website at the appropriate time. However, the Government intend to consult widely on transposition of the directive into national law and those affected will be aware, in advance, of the legislation.

Droit de Suite

Lord Freyberg: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What are the sale price bands and tapering scale of rates of droit de suite as now agreed at the European level.

Lord Sainsbury of Turville: The royalty rates are:
	(a) 4 per cent of the portion of the sale price up to EUR 50,000 (£30,750);
	(b) 3 per cent for the portion of the sale price EUR 50,000.01 to 200,000 (£30,750 to £123,000);
	(c) 1 per cent of the portion of the sale price from EUR 200,000.01 to 350,000 (£123,000 to £215,250);
	(d) 0.5 per cent for the portion of the sale price from EUR 350,000.01 to 500,000 (£215,000 to £307,500);
	(e) 0.25 per cent for the portion of the sale price exceeding EUR 500,000 (£307,500).
	By way of derogation, member states may apply a rate of 5 per cent for the portion of the sale price up to EUR 50,000. They may also set a minimum sale price from which sales shall be subjected to droit de suite, but this price must not exceed EUR 3000 (£1,845). If a lower minimum is set, the member state may determine the rate applicable up to EUR 3000; but this must not be lower than 4 per cent. The total royalty payable may not exceed EUR 12,500 (£7,687). [Sterling equivalents are based on a prevailing conversion rate of 1 EUR = 61.5 pence].

Incapacity Benefit

Lord Astor of Hever: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they will give the source and method of calculation behind the figures quoted by the Prime Minister in his assertion on 4 July (HC Deb, col. 254) that people coming on to incapacity benefit will be paid on average £4,000 a year for 10, 15 or 20 years without any checks as to their recovery or ability to work; and
	Following the Prime Minister's assertion that people coming on to incapacity benefit will be paid on average about £4,000 a year for 10, 15 or 20 years without any checks as to their recovery or ability to work (HC Deb, 4 July, col. 254), whether they will clarify which permanently or severely disabling conditions will exempt an incapacity benefit claimant from an eligibility review.[HL434].

Baroness Hollis of Heigham: The Disability Rights Commission has stated that 1 million disabled people not in work say they would like to work. We have a duty to help them do so. My right honourable friend the Prime Minister was quoting the type of case that can arise under the regime.
	The proposed changes announced by my right honourable friend the Secretary of State on 11 July (Commons Official Report col. 567W) do not change the current exemptions from medical testing which apply to the most severely disabled people. However, they will ensure that there is a review at least every three years to make sure people are getting all the help they need.

Incapacity Benefit

Lord Morris of Manchester: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How many recipients of incapacity benefit are not subject to further medical tests because of the severity of their disabilities; and what percentage of incapacity benefit recipients as a whole they represent.

Baroness Hollis of Heigham: The information is in the table.
	
		Thousands 
		
			 Total number of Incapacity Benefit (IB) recipients at 28 February 2001 Number exempt from the Personal Capability Assessment (PCA) due to severe medical conditions Percentage of IB recipients 
			 1,515.2 366.7 24.2 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. Although people with severe medical conditions do not have to undergo the whole PCA their cases may be reviewed from time to time to ensure that the criteria is satisfied.
	2. The table excludes national insurance credits only cases.
	3. The figures are taken from a 5 per cent sample of the benefit computer system and exclude a small number of cases held clerically.
	4. Figures are expressed as thousands and are rounded to the nearest hundred.

Sick or Disabled People: Benefit Applications

Lord Ashley of Stoke: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	For each of the past five years for which figures are available, how many applications for all the benefits available to sick or disabled people were made; how many were rejected for failing the medical test; how many appealed; and how many appeals were successful.

Baroness Hollis of Heigham: The available information is in the tables.
	Information is available on the total number of appeals made against decisions in respect of all of these benefits. However, information on the number of people who appealed because they were disallowed benefit following a medical test is not available separately.
	
		New claims figures for Incapacity Benefit, Severe Disablement Allowance and Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit (IIDB)
		
			 Year Incapacity Benefit Severe Disablement Allowance Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit 
			 1996 to 1997 1,062,817 88,650 70,600 
			 1997 to 1998 1,012,981 48,829 96,200 
			 1998 to 1999 930,002 44,272 73,200 
			 1999 to 2000 907,597 46,920 68,800 
			 2000 to 2001 873,491 48,386 75,400 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. Figures for incapacity benefit and severe disablement allowance are taken from Central Data Unit 100 per cent counts.
	2. Figures for industrial injuries disablement benefit (IIDB) are based on a 10 per cent sample and are rounded to the nearest hundred.
	3. Figures are for the period 1 April to 31 March in each year shown.
	4. Since 6 April 2001 new claims to severe disablement allowance are not accepted.
	5. Some people who claimed severe disablement allowance may have been required to take a medical test before benefit could be paid but information is not available on the numbers involved.
	6. People receiving IIDB are required to take a medical examination before benefit can be awarded, although IIDB can be disallowed without such an examination. Information is not available on the number of people who have been disallowed IIDB following a medical examination.
	7. People who claim incapacity benefit are not required to take a medical test at the outset of a claim.
	
		New claims and disallowances following a medical test for Disability Living Allowance
		
			 Year New claims New claims disallowed following a medical test 
			 1996 to 1997 517,588 94,182 
			 1997 to 1998 461,359 92,168 
			 1998 to 1999 398,277 77,817 
			 1999 to 2000 392,599 86,954 
			 2000 to 2001 410,269 91,465 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. Figures are taken from 100 per cent Management Information System data.
	2. Figures are for the period 1 April to 31 March in each year shown.
	
		New claims and disallowances following a medical test for Attendance Allowance
		
			 Year New claims New claims disallowed following a medical test 
			 1996 to 1997 460,996 40,157 
			 1997 to 1998 412,250 30,345 
			 1998 to 1999 414,014 28,274 
			 1999 to 2000 395,166 36,252 
			 2000 to 2001 408,261 31,602 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. Figures are taken from 100 per cent Management Information System data.
	2. Figures are for the period 1 April to 31 March in each year shown.

Disability Living Allowance: Appeals and Withdrawals

Lord Morris of Manchester: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	In how many cases the withdrawal of disability living allowance following medical examinations by the SEMA company, on behalf of the Benefits Agency, was reversed by appeal tribunals in the last full year for which figures are available.

Baroness Hollis of Heigham: The information is not available, as statistics on the outcomes of appeals do not distinguish cases where the original decision appealed against was made following a medical examination.

Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission

Lord Laird: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What individuals or organisations requested the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission to make its call of 18 July for the Chief Constable of the Royal Ulster Constabulary to stop using "plastic bullets".

Lord Falconer of Thoroton: These are matters for the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission. The Chief Commissioner has been asked to write to the noble Lord. A copy of his letter will be placed in the Library.

Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission

Lord Laird: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission considered police regulations on the use of baton rounds before it made its call on 18 July for the Chief Constable of the Royal Ulster Constabulary to stop using "plastic bullets".

Lord Falconer of Thoroton: These are matters for the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission. The Chief Commissioner has been asked to write to the noble Lord. A copy of his letter will be placed in the Library.

Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission

Lord Laird: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission has considered paragraphs 9.12 to 9.17 of the report of the independent commission on policing for Northern Ireland (the Patten report), where it is reported that overseas police officers would use live rounds if confronted with the circumstances of Northern Ireland.

Lord Falconer of Thoroton: These are matters for the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission. The Chief Commissioner has been asked to write to the noble Lord. A copy of his letter will be placed in the Library.

Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission

Lord Laird: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they will name the "Chief Constables in England" cited in the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission's call of 18 July for the Chief Constable of the Royal Ulster Constabulary to stop using "plastic bullets".

Lord Falconer of Thoroton: These are matters for the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission. The Chief Commissioner has been asked to write to the noble Lord. A copy of his letter will be placed in the Library.

Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission

Lord Laird: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What efforts the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission made to ascertain the circumstances in which the Royal Ulster Constabulary uses "plastic bullets" before issuing its call on 18 July for the Chief Constable of the Royal Ulster Constabulary to stop using them.

Lord Falconer of Thoroton: These are matters for the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission. The Chief Commissioner has been asked to write to the noble Lord. A copy of his letter will be placed in the Library.

Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission

Lord Laird: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What authority the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission has for its claim, in its call of 18 July for the Chief Constable of the Royal Ulster Constabulary to stop using "plastic bullets", that the new plastic bullets "appear[s]" to be even more dangerous than those used before 1 June.

Lord Falconer of Thoroton: These are matters for the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission. The Chief Commissioner has been asked to write to the noble Lord. A copy of his letter will be placed in the Library.

Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission

Lord Laird: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What authority the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission had, in its call of 18 July for the Chief Constable of the Royal Ulster Constabulary to stop using "plastic bullets", for the claim that it was a "disproportionate use of force".

Lord Falconer of Thoroton: These are matters for the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission. The Chief Commissioner has been asked to write to the noble Lord. A copy of his letter will be placed in the Library.

Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission

Lord Laird: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What convention rights the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission was relying upon in its call of 18 July for the Chief Constable of the Royal Ulster Constabulary to stop using "plastic bullets"; and what cases of the European Commission on Human Rights or the European Court of Human Rights it was relying upon.

Lord Falconer of Thoroton: These are matters for the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission. The Chief Commissioner has been asked to write to the noble Lord. A copy of his letter will be placed in the Library.

Public Entertainment Licences

Lord Colwyn: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether councils have statutory duties to ensure that licensees implement appropriate public safety measures in public houses and restaurants for all activities taking place, irrespective of whether those activities require a public entertainment licence.

Baroness Blackstone: Responsibility for enforcing health and safety legislation in England and Wales is shared by the Health and Safety Executive and the local authorities, but in the case of on-licensed premises is mainly the responsibility of the local authority. In addition, under the current law, licensing justices may seek undertakings relating to public safety measures in on-licensed premises before granting liquor licences; and local authorities may attach reasonable terms and conditions relating to public safety to public entertainment licences.

Public Entertainment Licences

Lord Colwyn: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether the Department for Culture, Media and Sport has responsibility for public entertainment licensing; and how they ensure that any advice they give is consistent.

Baroness Blackstone: Responsibility for public entertainment licensing policy was transferred from the Home Office to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport on 8 June this year. The administration and enforcement of public entertainment licensing law remain the statutory responsibility of the local authorities. The department offers advice where it can be helpful to inquirers; but the interpretation of public entertainment licensing law is ultimately a matter for the courts. Whenever it has been considered necessary to issue guidance to local authorities for the promotion of consistency in good practice, the Home Office approach has been to issue circulars to local authorities, thus ensuring that the same guidance reaches all. Where possible circulars have been issued jointly with the Local Government Association. We expect to adopt a similar practice.

The Solicitor-General

Lord Rawlinson of Ewell: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Who were the sponsors or referees that supported the Solicitor-General in her application for a patent as Queen's Counsel.

Lord Goldsmith: The Solicitor-General was made Queen's Counsel upon her appointment which is in accordance with past practice. There were no sponsors or referees.

The Solicitor-General

Lord Rawlinson of Ewell: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether the Solicitor-General has received a certificate to practise advocacy in the High Court; and, if so, when.

Lord Goldsmith: The Solicitor-General does not have a certificate to practise advocacy in the High Court.

The Solicitor-General

Lord Rawlinson of Ewell: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether the Solicitor-General holds any office in the Bar Council.

Lord Goldsmith: The Solicitor-General is an ex-officio member of the Bar Council.

PDVN: Annual Expenditure

Lord Elton: asked the Chairman of Committees:
	What is the current annual expenditure on the Parliamentary Data and Video Network; and what expenditure is projected for each of the next five years.

Lord Tordoff: Estimates for PDVN expenditure for the current year and the three following years are given in the table below. Estimates for 2005-06 and 2006-07 have not yet been made.
	Since PDVN staffing is under review, the estimates for 2002-05 may be subject to considerable variation. In order to provide at least an indicative projection for PDVN overall costs, this year's estimated staff costs have been extended forward in the calculations. All figures for later years may also, of course, be subject to change as a result of normal budgetary and forecasting processes. Telecommunications and administration costs are excluded.
	The House of Commons contributes 85 per cent of the total PDVN costs; the House of Lords 15 per cent.
	
		
			 Year PDVN costs (£) 
			 2001-02 4,284,600 
			 2002-03 3,692,900 
			 2003-04 4,157,400 
			 2004-05 3,958,800 
			 2005-06 Not yet estimated 
			 2006-07 Not yet estimated

Religious Organisations: Consultation with the Department for Education and Skills

Lord Goodhart: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Which faith-based organisations have had meetings with Department for Education and Skills Ministers specifically to discuss policy in the last year.

Baroness Ashton of Upholland: In the last year, Department for Education and Skills Ministers have met representatives of the Church of England, the Roman Catholic Church, the Methodist Church, the Free Church Federal Council and the Muslim Education Co-ordinating Council (UK) to discuss policy.
	Officials held a meeting with all the national faith organisations which provide maintained schools on 25 May to discuss the Green Paper, Schools Building on Success.

Childcare Strategy: Expenditure

Lord Marlesford: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they will give, for the most recent available year, expenditure on Childcare Strategy in each county in England and Wales.

Baroness Ashton of Upholland: We only have information on expenditure on the National Childcare Strategy relating to England. Expenditure in Wales is a matter for the Welsh Assembly. Annex 1 shows expenditure in 2000-01 for each local authority from grants made by the former Department for Education and Employment. This excludes other childcare expenditure such as the working families tax credit, grants to students, independent local authority expenditure and grants made from the New Opportunities Fund for which local authority figures are not available.
	
		
			 Local Authority Expenditure on childcare 2000-01 (£) 
			 Barking & Dagenham 178,559 
			 Barnet 327,310 
			 Barnsley 289,733 
			 Bath & North East Somerset 147,538 
			 Bedfordshire 378,933 
			 Bexley 222,610 
			 Birmingham 1,397,818 
			 Blackburn UA 276,939 
			 Blackpool UA 148,780 
			 Bolton 450,467 
			 Bournemouth UA 135,748 
			 Bracknell Forest UA 103,563 
			 Bradford 678,203 
			 Brent 320,831 
			 Brighton & Hove UA 240,154 
			 Bristol, City of 516,647 
			 Bromley 252,621 
			 Buckinghamshire 410,040 
			 Bury 230,190 
			 Calderdale 195,705 
			 Cambridgeshire 580,381 
			 Camden 204,476 
			 Cheshire 648,163 
			 City of London 49,650 
			 Cornwall 487,185 
			 Coventry 383,168 
			 Croydon 373,095 
			 Cumbria 481,544 
			 Darlington UA 116,478 
			 Derby UA 286,190 
			 Derbyshire 624,516 
			 Devon 617,224 
			 Doncaster 351,669 
			 Dorset 302,066 
			 Dudley 378,206 
			 Durham 545,878 
			 Ealing 346,862 
			 East Riding of Yorkshire 219,066 
			 East Sussex 466,439 
			 Enfield 272,340 
			 Essex 1,144,642 
			 Gateshead 230,632 
			 Gloucestershire 514,620 
			 Greenwich 362,061 
			 Hackney 337,204 
			 Halton UA 155,860 
			 Hammersmith & Fulham 218,520 
			 Hampshire 1,131,405 
			 Haringey 302,562 
			 Harrow 247,094 
			 Hartlepool UA 104,752 
			 Havering 228,949 
			 Herefordshire, County of 148,494 
			 Hertfordshire 832,270 
			 Hillingdon 235,745 
			 Hounslow 263,221 
			 Isle of Wight 128,792 
			 Isles of Scilly 42,000 
			 Islington 252,133 
			 Kensington & Chelsea 182,859 
			 Kent 1,444,683 
			 Kingston upon Hull, City of 351,286 
			 Kingston upon Thames 123,157 
			 Kirklees 397,678 
			 Knowsley 283,261 
			 Lambeth 417,557 
			 Lancashire 1,106,726 
			 Leeds 807,583 
			 Leicester UA 428,391 
			 Leicestershire 547,823 
			 Lewisham 298,972 
			 Lincolnshire 453,238 
			 Liverpool 776,220 
			 Luton UA 282,844 
			 Manchester 706,315 
			 Medway (Rochester & Gillingham) 254,759 
			 Merton 178,602 
			 Middlesbrough 249,963 
			 Milton Keynes UA 192,545 
			 NE Lincolnshire 203,557 
			 Newcastle upon Tyne 340,977 
			 Newham 392,932 
			 Norfolk 702,466 
			 North Lincolnshire UA 172,561 
			 North Somerset 170,377 
			 North Tyneside 183,219 
			 North Yorkshire 552,887 
			 Northamptonshire 545,220 
			 Northumberland 263,940 
			 Nottingham UA 348,416 
			 Nottinghamshire 659,015 
			 Oldham 289,280 
			 Oxfordshire 541,382 
			 Peterborough UA 177,376 
			 Plymouth 240,522 
			 Poole UA 122,973 
			 Portsmouth UA 222,301 
			 Reading UA 149,938 
			 Redbridge 200,863 
			 Redcar & Cleveland UA 164,866 
			 Richmond upon Thames 141,287 
			 Rochdale 265,112 
			 Rotherham 277,377 
			 Rutland UA 74,219 
			 Salford 349,040 
			 Sandwell 330,140 
			 Sefton 314,468 
			 Sheffield 623,746 
			 Shropshire 239,454 
			 Slough UA 135,574 
			 Solihull 184,252 
			 Somerset 443,937 
			 South Gloucestershire 212,898 
			 South Tyneside 222,846 
			 Southampton UA 225,729 
			 Southend UA 161,346 
			 Southwark 400,075 
			 St Helens 213,762 
			 Staffordshire 658,630 
			 Stockport 278,071 
			 Stockton-on-Tees UA 296,953 
			 Stoke-on-Trent 312,160 
			 Suffolk 622,669 
			 Sunderland 354,767 
			 Surrey 869,738 
			 Sutton 168,993 
			 Swindon (Thamesdown) 219,122 
			 Tameside 257,536 
			 Telford & Wrekin UA 171,645 
			 Thurrock UA 99,445 
			 Torbay UA 116,087 
			 Tower Hamlets 308,354 
			 Trafford 226,748 
			 Wakefield 363,129 
			 Walsall 303,941 
			 Waltham Forest 211,419 
			 Wandsworth 298,985 
			 Warrington UA 191,664 
			 Warwickshire 465,945 
			 West Berkshire (Newbury) 132,519 
			 West Sussex 724,042 
			 Westminster 207,005 
			 Wigan 316,091 
			 Wiltshire 381,032 
			 Windsor & Maidenhead UA 118,451 
			 Wirral 404,912 
			 Wokingham UA 110,719 
			 Wolverhampton 297,299 
			 Worcestershire 421,596 
			 York UA 143,180

Childcare Provision in Rural Counties and Urban Areas

Lord Marlesford: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What estimates they can make of the difference in cost of developing and sustaining childcare provision in rural counties and urban areas.

Baroness Ashton of Upholland: We do not have any information to suggest that there are overall differences in the cost of developing and sustaining childcare provision in rural counties and urban areas. Early years development and childcare partnerships in each local authority area are responsible for ensuring that particular attention is paid to the development and maintenance of childcare services in rural and disadvantaged areas.

Specialist Schools: Pupil Performance

Baroness Sharp of Guildford: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What evidence they have to support their contention that shifting to specialist status improves pupil performance in secondary schools.

Baroness Ashton of Upholland: Research carried out by the London School of Economics calculated that between 1994-98 the average annual rate increase in GCSE A*-C performance in specialist schools was half as much again as in non-specialist maintained schools. On the same measure, specialist schools continued to improve faster than the national average for all other schools between 1997 and 2000 when the percentage point improvement for pupils gaining 5+ A*-C grades at GCSE in specialist schools throughout this period was 6.1 compared with 4.1 in other maintained schools. Research carried out by Professor David Jesson of York University also shows that specialist schools are performing very well on value added scores. Comparing results of 1995 key stage 2 tests with GCSE results in 2000, comprehensive specialist schools achieved a value added of +5.4 percentage points compared to -1.1 for all other comprehensive schools. Last year the percentage of pupils gaining 5 or more GCSEs at A*-C grades was 54 per cent in specialist schools compared with 45 per cent in other maintained schools.

Childcare Development Targets

Lord Marlesford: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What childcare development targets they have set for each county in England and Wales; and which counties have met those targets to date.

Baroness Ashton of Upholland: We have only information relating to England. Targets in Wales are a matter for the Welsh Assembly. Childcare targets for each local authority are agreed with early years development and childcare partnerships (EYDCPs). These targets are based on the findings of their local audits of childcare provision and the Government's own national strategic targets. A wide range of targets for the development of childcare is set.
	Annex 1 shows the overall targets for new childcare places created and actual places achieved by each local authority area in the most recent available year, 2000-01.
	Annex 2 shows the overall targets for new childcare places to be created for the next three years from 2001 to 2004.
	
		Achievement of 2000-01 Targets
		
			  Target Actual Difference 
			 Barking & Dagenham 442 523 81 
			 Barnet 954 727 -227 
			 Barnsley 400 451 51 
			 Bath & North East  Somerset 364 430 66 
			 Bedfordshire 1,052 1,391 339 
			 Bexley 825 986 161 
			 Birmingham 2,000 3,105 1,105 
			 Blackburn UA 551 578 27 
			 Blackpool UA 390 730 340 
			 Bolton 422 1,203 781 
			 Bournemouth UA 861 394 -467 
			 Bracknell Forest UA 486 236 -250 
			 Bradford 992 7,569 6,577 
			 Brent 520 754 234 
			 Brighton & Hove UA 530 779 249 
			 Bristol 1,219 1,023 -196 
			 Bromley 628 874 246 
			 Buckinghamshire 590 2,767 2,177 
			 Bury 304 468 164 
			 Calderdale 540 494 -46 
			 Cambridgeshire 2,982 2,208 -774 
			 Camden 514 801 287 
			 Cheshire 2,278 2,987 709 
			 City of London 57 278 221 
			 Cornwall 2,000 2,610 610 
			 Coventry 1,139 1,212 73 
			 Croydon 980 1,064 84 
			 Cumbria 975 1,287 312 
			 Darlington UA 492 435 -57 
			 Derby UA 400 661 261 
			 Derbyshire 3,104 2,496 -608 
			 Devon 1,808 2,845 1,037 
			 Doncaster 582 1,006 424 
			 Dorset 990 712 -278 
			 Dudley 827 638 -189 
			 Durham 1,400 1,861 461 
			 Ealing 455 935 480 
			 East Riding of Yorkshire 545 1,398 853 
			 East Sussex 1,196 1,697 501 
			 Enfield 586 593 7 
			 Essex 2,650 3,461 811 
			 Gateshead 580 791 211 
			 Gloucestershire 2,900 3,350 450 
			 Greenwich 748 1,047 299 
			 Hackney 460 592 132 
			 Halton UA 460 548 88 
			 Hammersmith & Fulham 504 459 -45 
			 Hampshire 4,383 7,599 3,216 
			 Haringey 1,585 1,399 -186 
			 Harrow 500 466 -34 
			 Hartlepool 280 307 27 
			 Havering 480 361 -119 
			 Herefordshire, County of 450 509 59 
			 Hertfordshire 3,000 2,781 -219 
			 Hillingdon 542 635 93 
			 Hounslow 353 342 -11 
			 Isle of Wight 210 440 230 
			 Isles of Scilly 34 59 25 
			 Islington 388 519 131 
			 Kensington & Chelsea 184 272 88 
			 Kent 2,432 2,668 236 
			 Kingston upon Hull 510 647 137 
			 Kingston upon Thames 343 714 371 
			 Kirklees 1,249 1.275 26 
			 Knowsley 210 682 472 
			 Lambeth 530 1,474 944 
			 Lancashire 2,291 3,587 1,296 
			 Leeds 2,400 2,224 -176 
			 Leicester UA 840 485 -355 
			 Leicestershire 1,450 1,705 255 
			 Lewisham 420 350 -70 
			 Lincolnshire 1,648 1,412 -236 
			 Liverpool 800 955 155 
			 Luton UA 800 1.092 292 
			 Manchester 740 1,109 369 
			 Medway (Rochester &  Gillingham) 300 619 319 
			 Merton 348 353 5 
			 Middlesbrough 424 540 116 
			 Milton Keynes UA 1,371 1,237 -234 
			 Newcastle upon Tyne 967 664 -303 
			 Newham 310 585 275 
			 Norfolk 740 1,529 789 
			 North East Lincolnshire 454 760 306 
			 North Lincolnshire UA 420 187 -233 
			 North Somerset 471 747 276 
			 North Tyneside 668 651 -17 
			 North Yorkshire 1,898 2,679 781 
			 Northamptonshire 1,300 2,228 928 
			 Northumberland 1,255 797 -458 
			 Nottingham UA 570 663 93 
			 Nottinghamshire 2,250 2,427 177 
			 Oldham 424 598 174 
			 Oxfordshire 1,280 1,486 206 
			 Peterborough UA 884 1,241 357 
			 Plymouth 484 1,520 1,036 
			 Poole UA 889 301 -588 
			 Portsmouth UA 280 673 393 
			 Reading UA 350 999 649 
			 Redbridge 600 485 -115 
			 Redcar & Cleveland UA 247 347 100 
			 Richmond upon Thames 376 828 452 
			 Rochdale 760 752 -8 
			 Rotherham 398 805 407 
			 Rutland UA 174 316 142 
			 Salford 687 721 34 
			 Sandwell 976 551 -425 
			 Sefton 354 495 141 
			 Sheffield 1,150 1,212 62 
			 Shropshire 930 914 -16 
			 Slough UA 495 304 -191 
			 Solihull 592 738 146 
			 Somerset 1,445 1,638 193 
			 South Gloucestershire 606 595 -11 
			 South Tyneside 499 385 -114 
			 Southampton UA 947 672 -275 
			 Southend UA 453 421 -32 
			 Southwark 825 940 115 
			 St. Helens 512 479 -33 
			 Staffordshire 3,050 2,313 -737 
			 Stockport 410 781 371 
			 Stockton-on-Tees UA 390 380 -10 
			 Stoke-on-Trent 675 491 -184 
			 Suffolk 1,150 1,009 -141 
			 Sunderland 957 671 -286 
			 Surrey 500 3,543 3,043 
			 Sutton 600 875 275 
			 Swindon (Thames Down) 551 924 373 
			 Tameside 405 513 108 
			 Telford & Wrekin UA 718 644 -74 
			 Thurrock UA 532 510 -22 
			 Torbay UA 286 391 105 
			 Tower Hamlets 675 356 -319 
			 Trafford 697 605 -92 
			 Wakefield 656 533 -123 
			 Walsall 670 910 240 
			 Waltham Forest 766 834 68 
			 Wandsworth 300 464 164 
			 Warrington UA 626 556 -70 
			 Warwickshire 602 754 152 
			 West Berkshire  (Newbury) 350 922 572 
			 West Sussex 1,474 2,989 1,515 
			 Westminster 425 1,044 619 
			 Wigan 820 700 -120 
			 Wiltshire 1,120 1,734 614 
			 Windsor &  Maidenhead UA 600 812 212 
			 Wirral 1,000 747 -253 
			 Wokingham UA 205 590 385 
			 Wolverhampton 711 625 -86 
			 Worcestershire 810 2,376 1,566 
			 York UA 530 1,123 593 
			  
			 Totals 129,358 168,223 38,865 
		
	
	
		Childcare Place Targets
		
			  2001-02 2002-03 2003-04 
			 Barking & Dagenham 452 665 655 
			 Barnet 1,142 1,163 998 
			 Barnsley 294 492 570 
			 Bath & North East  Somerset 741 844 829 
			 Bedfordshire 1,270 1,600 1,190 
			 Bexley 1,063 728 582 
			 Birmingham 3,070 4,200 4,925 
			 Blackburn UA 744 417 158 
			 Blackpool UA 592 751 444 
			 Bolton 812 792 819 
			 Bournemouth UA 459 602 709 
			 Bracknell Forest UA 726 801 402 
			 Bradford 1,936 2,039 1,527 
			 Brent 445 495 545 
			 Brighton & Hove UA 603 761 711 
			 Bristol 1,210 1,278 1,278 
			 Bromley 1,187 1,384 720 
			 Buckinghamshire 2,133 2,314 2,191 
			 Bury 527 586 581 
			 Calderdale 862 763 787 
			 Cambridgeshire 1,577 1,512 1,328 
			 Camden 813 620 396 
			 Cheshire 3,688 3,120 2,493 
			 City of London 46 41 6 
			 Cornwall 2,730 2,738 2,642 
			 Coventry 670 1,200 1,316 
			 Croydon 1,125 1,125 1,015 
			 Cumbria 2,520 1,878 1,478 
			 Darlington UA 576 462 422 
			 Derby UA 530 509 131 
			 Derbyshire 2,094 2,297 1,444 
			 Devon 2,273 2,374 1,984 
			 Doncaster 1,074 1,307 1,362 
			 Dorset 1,432 1,315 1,160 
			 Dudley 442 727 747 
			 Durham 2,214 1,915 1,715 
			 Ealing 1,167 1,317 1,437 
			 East Riding of Yorkshire 1,121 980 600 
			 East Sussex 1,644 1,828 1,814 
			 Enfield 1,248 1,313 1,283 
			 Essex 4,474 3,299 2,359 
			 Gateshead 1,092 515 196 
			 Gloucestershire 2,500 2,500 2,500 
			 Greenwich 750 800 750 
			 Hackney 548 398 398 
			 Halton UA 663 404 402 
			 Hammersmith & Fulham 1,021 414 252 
			 Hampshire 7,218 7,218 7,218 
			 Haringey 1,005 300 220 
			 Harrow 483 430 430 
			 Hartlepool UA 332 403 388 
			 Havering 540 456 457 
			 Herefordshire, County of 578 594 565 
			 Hertfordshire 5,389 5,792 2,499 
			 Hillingdon 1,123 1,600 1,550 
			 Hounslow 632 502 536 
			 Isle of Wight 438 341 288 
			 Isles of Scilly 135 60 60 
			 Islington 488 593 190 
			 Kensington & Chelsea 475 467 322 
			 Kent 2,128 3,288 2,128 
			 Kingston upon Hull 1,094 1,345 629 
			 Kingston upon Thames 401 564 196 
			 Kirklees 1,373 1,558 1,288 
			 Knowsley 1,020 630 180 
			 Lambeth 574 623 365 
			 Lancashire 3,050 3,090 3,036 
			 Leeds 1,903 1,747 1,109 
			 Leicester UA 1,164 985 652 
			 Leicestershire 4,142 4,296 4,503 
			 Lewisham 956 504 432 
			 Lincolnshire 1,607 1,736 1,903 
			 Liverpool 1,251 1,252 1,192 
			 Luton UA 990 1,053 1,076 
			 Manchester 1,554 1,163 1,212 
			 Medway (Rochester &  Gillingham) 931 900 522 
			 Merton 380 612 534 
			 Middlesbrough 662 330 317 
			 Milton Keynes UA 1,305 1,203 696 
			 Newcastle upon Tyne 1,046 835 553 
			 Newham 711 908 991 
			 Norfolk 3,239 3,166 2,941 
			 North East  Lincolnshire 392 495 478 
			 North Lincolnshire UA 451 455 429 
			 North Somerset 827 1,225 1,559 
			 North Tyneside 803 624 254 
			 North Yorkshire 2,785 2,533 1,144 
			 Northamptonshire 1,121 1,885 2,210 
			 Northumberland 572 666 460 
			 Nottingham UA 856 1,123 1,357 
			 Nottinghamshire 2,512 2,562 2,612 
			 Oldham 1,010 1,290 1,190 
			 Oxfordshire 1,934 2,368 2,568 
			 Peterborough UA 643 495 495 
			 Plymouth 1,698 1,357 613 
			 Poole UA 341 341 345 
			 Portsmouth UA 676 507 167 
			 Reading UA 498 412 345 
			 Redbridge 727 982 796 
			 Redcar & Cleveland UA 508 413 189 
			 Richmond upon Thames 662 600 436 
			 Rochdale 687 805 893 
			 Rotherham 842 930 762 
			 Rutland UA 188 117 116 
			 Salford 692 703 616 
			 Sandwell 625 1,170 745 
			 Sefton 828 1,135 926 
			 Sheffield 1,697 1,924 1,064 
			 Shropshire 1,018 1,289 1,101 
			 Slouth UA 602 432 264 
			 Solihull 706 476 302 
			 Somerset 1,523 1,538 901 
			 South Gloucestershire 1,046 1,144 762 
			 South Tyneside 691 870 1,037 
			 Southampton UA 793 827 726 
			 Southend UA 416 375 231 
			 Southwark 680 680 630 
			 St Helens 796 752 336 
			 Staffordshire 2,420 2,474 2,524 
			 Stockport 604 1,085 1,033 
			 Stockton-on-Tees UA 729 855 650 
			 Stoke-on-Trent 425 625 425 
			 Suffolk 2,216 2,166 1,903 
			 Sunderland 1,432 1,294 1,294 
			 Surrey 1,713 2,892 1,862 
			 Sutton 637 831 469 
			 Swindon (Thamesdown) 428 458 352 
			 Tameside 748 828 828 
			 Telford & Wrekin UA 986 1,117 889 
			 Thurrock UA 395 468 309 
			 Torbay UA 386 270 97 
			 Tower Hamlets 690 920 891 
			 Trafford 572 673 448 
			 Wakefield 959 1,125 1,130 
			 Walsall 920 745 690 
			 Waltham Forest 1,963 891 764 
			 Wandsworth 591 716 515 
			 Warrington UA 728 1,017 628 
			 Warwickshire 2,552 2,078 2,079 
			 West Berkshire  (Newbury) 516 319 216 
			 West Sussex 2,527 2,003 1,634 
			 Westminster 407 398 148 
			 Wigan 1,140 1,204 1,251 
			 Wiltshire 1,660 1,680 1,626 
			 Windsor &  Maidenhead UA 600 400 400 
			 Wirral 1,419 1,509 1,719 
			 Wokingham UA 586 511 451 
			 Wolverhampton 755 1,035 1,028 
			 Worcestershire 2,415 2,680 2,515 
			 York UA 1,056 980 1,349 
			  
			 Total 178,719 181,874 154,605